By IANS,
Durban : In an effort to combat the scourge of HIV and Aids, over two million men will be circumcised in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, BuaNews reported Friday.
The premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Zweli Mkhize, said Thursday this initiative had received overwhelming support from HIV activists and the medical fraternity.
The process will begin April 11.
In late 2006, two randomised controlled trials on whether male circumcision reduces HIV transmission were halted because interim results showed an overwhelming protective effect, validating the results from an earlier South African trial conducted in Orange Farm.
Based on the weight of the evidence from both observational studies and randomised trials, public health leaders have concluded that male circumcision when performed by well-trained and well-equipped health professionals can significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection among adult men.
“We now have our task cut out for us to circumcise over two million males using the safety of professional techniques and encourage HIV pre-testing,” he said.