By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is exploring the use of reusable circumcision kits to sustain voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services amid declining international funding and the gradual withdrawal of donor support. VMMC has been a key HIV prevention tool in Zimbabwe, credited with significantly reducing new HIV infections since the program’s launch in 2009. At
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By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is exploring the use of reusable circumcision kits to sustain voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services amid declining international funding and the gradual withdrawal of donor support. VMMC has been a key HIV prevention tool in Zimbabwe, credited with significantly reducing new HIV infections since the program’s launch in 2009. At its peak
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa To ensure the sustainability of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programs in the face of dwindling donor support and donor fatigue, African governments have been urged to fund and promote VMMC programs. Since VMMC was recommended by WHO and the UNAIDS in 2007 as key to HIV prevention in high prevalence settings,
Read MoreIn areas with high HIV prevalence and low rates of male circumcision, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) can greatly contribute to HIV prevention. Despite this, there was a steep drop in the number of VMMCs performed in the 15 priority countries in 2020, due mainly to service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: approximately 2.8 million
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ZIMBABWE has released its 2020 Global AIDS Monitoring (GAM) report which shows that the country is itching closer to epidemic control despite a myriad of challenges threatening to reverse the gains achieved so far, chief among them being the COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa Addressing a Press Conference where he presented on GAM and progress
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A total 83 million male condoms and 2.9 million female condoms were distributed in the year 2020, which is a far cry from the 100 million for men and 5.5 million that had been targeted for women during the year. By Michael Gwarisa The target misses were largely attributed to service disruption due to Covid-19.
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THE national Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) missed its target of circumcising 412,000 men in 2020 and only managed to circumcise 78,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which derailed all circumcision efforts countrywide due to tight restrictions on movement. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe adopted VMMC as one of its main HIV prevention strategies for men
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WITH Zimbabwe’s Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) approving the proposed budget outline, the country should submit its proposal for the Global Fund grant by March 23, 2020, HealthTimes has learned. By Kudakwashe Pembere In an update for the country concept note development for the Global Fund To Fight TB, HIV and Malaria Grant 2021
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap][dropcap]HE[/dropcap] Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) together with the Population Services International (PSI) have come up with a Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) sustainability transition implementation plan (STIP) that will see government taking over implementation and programing of the project in both scale up and maintenance districts by the year 2021. By Michael
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POPULATION Services International (PSI), has registered increased uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (Vmmc) services in Mazowe District, Mashonaland central, at the back of increased community engagements and sensitization programs. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Mvurwi The province is one of the red zones in terms of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) prevalence owing to massive
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