MALE CIRCUMCISION IN TANZANIA..(problem in some regions)

AIDS well known as killer disease ,perhaps counted as among the deadliest disease ,there many ways in which AIDS can be transmitted ,having unsafe sex is one of the popular way but one that was quite forgotten in my country was male circumcision.Yes we do have some communities in my country that forbid male circumcision , illiterate i would say ,one refusing to get circumcised.
A research that was lately conducted  states 67 % of males in the country are circumcised and the remaining are not ,in some parts of western Tanzania this is where the problem lies , awareness here can be low to 20 %.   Regions that have low awareness of circumcision are Iringa,Mara,Kagera ,Mwanza ,Rukwa ,Shinyanga,and Tabora .
If you aim at getting war go to some villages in the mentioned regions and try talking to them about circumcision ,few will understand since this is a veg topic among the villagers .
Fact that this villagers don't know is male circumcision reduces mans risks of getting infected with HIV .
Tanzania needs to circumcise  1,373,271 men in order to achieve 80%  prevalence ,which would potentially avert 200,000 new HIV infections within 5 years.
All this awareness i done by the help of the US Embassy ,the below is the press release by the Embassy earlier on April.

Tabora Regional Administration recently launched the expansion of free voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services and campaign in six health facilities across the region in one of its efforts to prevent the spread of HIV in the region. This free program is sponsored by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

The three-week campaign designed to launch the expansion of services in Tabora is called—‘Maisha ni Sasa: Kuwa Msafi, Pata Kinga, Wahi Tohara,” which means "Your Future is Now: Get Clean, Get Protected, Go for Circumcision." The program aims to reach 5,000 men over 20 years of age, and will provide free voluntary medical male circumcision services at the Kitete Regional Hospital and Tumbi Health Center in Tabora Municipality; Nzega District Hospital and Ndala Hospital in Nzega District; and at the Igunga District Hospital and Igurubi Health Center in Igunga District. 

At the six health facilities, high quality VMMC services are provided by a specially trained and highly experienced regional health team working in a safe and sterile environment. Prior to the procedure, clients receive education about male circumcision, counseling and HIV testing services, screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), risk reduction counseling, and guidance on condom use. 

The program is implemented by Johns Hopkins University-affiliate Jhpiego. Since 2011, with funding from the American people and technical support from the Jhpiego program, the regional administration in Tabora has been offering free medical male circumcisions at Kitete Regional Hospital. The launch of this campaign marks the beginning of an expansion of VMMC services across the region, with the goal of reaching more than 310,000 men in Tabora by 2015. 

Dr. George Msalale, Tabora Region AIDS Coordinator expressed appreciation "to the Tabora Multisectoral AIDS Committee for including VMMC as one of its HIV prevention strategies, and the American people through USAID for strengthening this program in the region. One year ago we started with one facility and have strengthened the excellence of VMMC services at Kitete Hospital." 

One patient noted, “I am very happy to have received this service today. I am clean now, and protected. I have been planning to go for male circumcision for some time but I could not afford the cost. I also didn’t know that it helps reduce the risk for HIV infection as well as sexually transmitted infections." 

At 6 percent, the HIV prevalence in Tabora is almost similar to the national average. However, unlike other parts of the country, only 40 percent of men in this region are circumcised. Research has shown that circumcision is an effective HIV-prevention strategy, reducing a man’s risk of acquiring HIV by approximately 60 percent. When used in combination with other HIV prevention measures, including condoms, partner reduction and abstinence, circumcision is an important addition to men’s HIV-prevention options. In addition to lowering the risk of becoming infected with HIV, male circumcision can improve hygiene, reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and lowers the risk of penile cancer in men and cervical cancer among female partners. 

In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed male circumcision as an effective HIV prevention strategy and Tanzania is currently rolling out a five year program titled "National Strategy for Scaling up Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention" with a goal to circumcise at least 2.8 million adolescents and men countrywide by 2015. Tabora is among eight priority regions selected for the first phase of implementation; others are Iringa, Mbeya, Shinyanga, Rukwa, Mwanza, Kagera and Mara.