The Ministry of Health recognizes that heterosexual transmission is the most common mode of transmission of HIV in our set-up and the government priorities should reflect this reality. The Ministry has been at the forefront in scaling up prevention and treatment programmes for HIV/AIDS. As we seek to diversify the prevention efforts, we wish to welcome the publication of the studies indicating that male circum- cision offers some protection against HIV acquisition.
We are confident that this intervention will be a new addition to our prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of HIV, but recognize that it is not fully protective.
The aim of this guidance document is to provide a broad policy frame-
work for the integration of Male Circumcision into the existing preven- tion programmes. It is our belief that partners and all implementers will be guided by this document to provide male circumcision in a manner that is voluntary and provides the individual with appropriate information regarding the role of male circumcision in reducing the risk of HIV infection.
I would like to acknowledge all those who put in their efforts to the success of this document. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Family Health International come up for special mention for technical and financial input to this document. I will not forget to thank officials from the Ministry of Health and members of the Male Circumcision Task Force for their immense contribution.
We look forward to the successful fulfillment of objectives as set out in this guidance document and hope that the scaling up process is ac- celerated for the good of our population.
James W. Nyikal, MBS
Director of Medical Services