Male circumcision roll-out certain – now for ‘the how’

Abstract

The deputy chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Mark Heywood, believes oft-cited legal barriers to universal, voluntary neonatal circumcision are over-rated and can be overcome to bolster HIV prevention.
The HIV treatment activist lawyer was responding to Izindaba questions at the 5 th Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance (SAHARA) conference at Midrand early last December about barriers to the proven and potent infection control efficacy of large-scale male circumcision (MC).
After 2 years of consultation and scientific briefings of stakeholders SANAC has prepared MC guidelines, while the health department is busy with a feasibility study and cost analysis. MC will be part of a comprehensive new HIV prevention package due out later this year, officials have confirmed.
Head of the National Health Insurance (NHI) task team, Dr Olive Shisana, has additionally said that MC will almost certainly be part of the benefit package her 28-member expert team is preparing for legislation this June.