MALAWI: Men Encouraged to Dispel Myths about Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision
Social Services Director of the Diocese, Fr. Matthews Semba
Demetria Banda
The Catholic Health Commission of the Diocese of Chikwawa, under the Social Services Directorate of the diocese, has advised men and boys to do away with negative myths surrounding voluntary male medical circumcision (VMMC) by taking advantage of the clinical and psycho-social services that the VMMC project is offering in the District.
Speaking on Friday 1st October 2021 in Mangochi during a review meeting for the EMPOWER’s Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) project which is being implemented in Chikwawa by the Catholic Health Commission (CHC) in collaboration with JHPIEGO with funding from USAID, the Social Services Director of the Diocese Fr. Matthews Semba said it is vital to fight disinformation on issues surrounding VMMC.
“It is in the interest of the Diocese to feed people accurate clinical information about the project and its activities in order to prevent willing adult males from resorting to unsafe and unhygienic procedures elsewhere rather than in the safety of hygienic and well established VMMC clinics. This project targets voluntary adults by giving them counsel and services that are beneficial to their health and as an effort to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other disease, “said Fr Semba
In his remarks, Mr. Davie Chimwaza, the Diocesan Health Coordinator concurred with Fr. Semba and confirmed that CHC will now be providing VMMC services in one additional clinic (Makhuwira), having risen from previously providing in only 2 clinics (Montfort and Misomali).
“This gives testament to the impact the service provision is having on the ground and that men are voluntarily coming to utilize and benefit from the services provided,” Said Chimwaza
Site team leader of Montfort VMMC Clinic in Chikwawa, Andrew Mtande, also confirmed and advised men to not shy away from the services their clinics are providing as they are very important for men’s health and provide a forum for discussion of various other ways of fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He later added that he was satisfied with the progress the project is making and how it is changing men’s lives for the better in the district.
“Starting from October 2020 up to September 2021, we have been offering our services and we have reached about 6,760 MCs to our clients out of the annual target of 7500 MCs within Montfort and Misomali catchment area,” said Mtande.
The government of Malawi and its stakeholders have committed a lot of resources to VMMC programmes as a way of fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic despite research showing that its uptake among men is still low in Malawi.
