How do you circumcise a nation? the Rwandan case study
Mutabazi, V.; Forrest, J.I.; Ford, N.; Mills, E.J.
Bmc Medicine 12: 184
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 1741-7015 PMID: 25604003 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-014-0184-4Document Number: 642411
Voluntary medical male circumcision has been conclusively demonstrated to reduce the lifetime risk of male acquisition of HIV. The strategy has been adopted as a component of a comprehensive strategy towards achieving an AIDS-free generation. A number of countries in which prevalence of HIV is high and circumcision is low have been identified as a priority, where innovative approaches to scale-up are currently being explored. Rwanda, as one of the priority countries, has faced a number of challenges to successful scale-up. We discuss here how simplifications in the procedure, addressing a lack of healthcare infrastructure and mobilizing resources, and engaging communities of both men and women have permitted Rwanda to move forward with more optimism in its scale-up tactics. Examples from Rwanda are used to highlight how these barriers can and should be addressed.