Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
afrol News - November 7, 2008
The country joined ranks of hundreds of Swazi men who have opted for circumcision, after United Nations announcment last year that it could cut risk of contracting HIV virus by at least 60 percent.
Swaziland, which currently, with help of training from Israeli surgeons, now leads the African rush to embrace an ancient surgical intervention against a modern scourge.
Media reports said UN agencies are providing technical support to help Swazi government implement circumcision campaign and increase number of men receiving the procedure.
"Teams of Israeli surgeons, led by Inon Schenker of Jerusalem AIDS Project have trained 10 Swazi doctors on how to safely and efficiently perform the operation with limited resources," said a report.
AIDS epidemic has devastated the nation, reversing all of its economic and social gains since its independence from Britain four decades ago.
Swaziland suffers world's highest AIDS rates, with nearly 40 per cent of pregnant women and 19 percent of its 1.1 million people infected.
Universal male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa could prevent 5.7 million new infections and three million deaths over 20 years, according to modeling studies cited by UN.
Reports said though circumcision is important to reduce spread of HIV, mass male circumcision will create additional challenges to overstretched facilities in a country with only 170 doctors.
"There are growing fears that kindest cut may actually be a double-edged sword if patients deceive themselves into thinking they are now immune to developing HIV," report further cautioned.
Head of emergency committee for HIV/AIDS, Von Wissel, said spending on HIV/AIDS this year is $36 million, though he said it is not enough to tackle an epidemic that is destroying Swazi society.
On other sectors, food production is said to have plummeted because sick families are too poor to buy seeds and too weak to plant crops. School attendance is also said to be down, with the country having recorded an estimated 130,000 orphans and vulnerable children.
081107
AO081101
Copyright © 2008 - afrol News. All rights reserved. Reproducing or buying afrol News' articles. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through afrol News.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2008. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2008. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .