Study on Male Circumcision Influences Malawi's VMMC Approach
September 8, 2016
The Government of Malawi adjusted its Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programming based on recommendations presented in a study authored by the USAID-supported Health Policy Project, the predecessor to HP+. The study models the impact and cost of focusing Malawi's VMMC program by client age and geography. It recommends that Malawi focus on recruiting men and boys between the ages of 10 and 34 and to prioritize urban areas. In response to recommendations, the Government of Malawi is shifting its VMMC focus to aim to have 60 percent of males between the ages of 10 and 34 in 14 of Malawi's 28 districts circumcised by 2025. If Malawi reaches this goal the study calculates a potential total savings of $344 million. The Health Policy Project's study and its influence on programming in Malawi was featured in a Pacific Standard article on September 8, 2016 (Malawi's Secret Weapon Against HIV: Male Circumcision).
