Ayoub Kirunda Kakaire
28 July 2008
Health experts are worried quarks might be taking advantage of the weak health system and a delayed policy to carry out medical male circumcision amid increasing interest in the surgical procedure.
The concerns were raised July 24 at a breakfast meeting organised by the Makerere University School of Public Health (MUSPH) and the Health Communication Partnership to brief journalists on the latest medical male circumcision (MMC) trends in the country.
Male circumcision has found new popularity after it was confirmed in 2006 that it reduces the risk of HIV infection by 60-70 percent. But this new yearning for circumcision also has conventional medical practitioners uneasy.
"That some quarks out there might be looking at ways of making quick money out of this procedure that is generating public interest, is the very reason why we should move quickly to fix the system. Every health centre with a doctor should be able to carry out medical male circumcision," Dr. Freddie Ssengooba of MUSPH said.
At the meeting, preliminary findings from a needs assessment for male circumcision carried out in the districts of Rukungiri, Kampala, Gulu and Kumi were presented.
The findings show that at least all the respondents know about the association between male medical circumcision and a reduced risk of HIV infection. Respondents also thought women would play a major role in promoting MMC. However, there was concern that MMC might dilute earlier efforts to curtail the spread of HIV, such as the ABC approach.
Family Health International (FHI) and the Ministry of Health are conducting the assessment.
The government, while encouraging voluntary circumcision, is yet to come up with a definite policy on the matter.
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