KISUMU, Kenya, Jun 2 – More than 20,000 men have undergone voluntary circumscion in Nyanza province since last year as a means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The Provincial Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Dr Jackson Kioko said on Tuesday that in order to achieve the public health impact, the ministry is targeting to circumcise at least 80 percent of uncircumcised men between the ages of 15-49 years in the province.
Mr Kioko said circumcision services are performed by well-trained, properly equipped health personnel under hygienic conditions to ensure safety of all seeking the services.
He said 124 sites were offering the services across the province noting that they are in dialogue with other health partners to assist in scaling it up.
Mr Kioko said they are working with other healthcare providers and community leaders to ensure that the necessary systems and resources are in place to provide safe and reliable voluntary male circumcision.
Speaking during a media roundtable breakfast meeting in Kisumu, Mr Kioko said they are ensuring that the public health measure is implemented in a culturally sensitive environment.
He said that inadequate number of health providers is a challenge to effectively implement the program as they are faced with balancing the demand for circumcision with the limited number of health workers in the health facilities.
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