PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hove, Joseph
AU  - Masimba, Lewis
AU  - Murenje, Vernon
AU  - Nyadundu, Simon
AU  - Musayerenge, Brian
AU  - Xaba, Sinokuthemba
AU  - Nachipo, Brian
AU  - Chitimbire, Vuyelwa
AU  - Makunike, Batsirai
AU  - Holec, Marrianne
AU  - Chinyoka, Takarubuda
AU  - Mandisarisa, John
AU  - Balachandra, Shirish
AU  - Tshimanga, Mufuta
AU  - Barnhart, Scott
AU  - Feldacker, Caryl
TI  - Incorporating Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Into Traditional Circumcision Contexts: Experiences of a Local Consortium in Zimbabwe Collaborating With an Ethnic Group
AID  - 10.9745/GHSP-D-18-00352
DP  - 2019 Mar 22
TA  - Global Health: Science and Practice
PG  - 138--146
VI  - 7
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/7/1/138.short
4100  - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/7/1/138.full
SO  - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT2019 Mar 22; 7
AB  - The successful collaboration resulted in a male circumcision camp where 98% of the 672 boys and men ages 10 and up chose voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) while traditional practices were respected. Such collaborations may improve patient safety and increase VMMC uptake in sub-Saharan Africa.Employing voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) within traditional settings may increase patient safety and help scale up male circumcision efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. In Zimbabwe, the VaRemba are among the few ethnic groups that practice traditional male circumcision, often in suboptimal hygienic environments. ZAZIC, a local consortium, and the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) established a successful, culturally sensitive partnership with the VaRemba to provide safe, standardized male circumcision procedures and reduce adverse events (AEs) during traditional male circumcision initiation camps. The foundation for the VaRemba Camp Collaborative (VCC) was established over a 4-year period, between 2013 and 2017, with support from a wide group of stakeholders. Initially, ZAZIC supported VaRemba traditional male circumcisions by providing key commodities and transport to help ensure patient safety. Subsequently, 2 male VaRemba nurses were trained in VMMC according to national MoHCC guidelines to enable medical male circumcision within the camp. To increase awareness and uptake of VMMC at the upcoming August–September 2017 camp, ZAZIC then worked closely with a trained team of circumcised VaRemba men to create demand for VMMC. Non-VaRemba ZAZIC doctors were granted permission by VaRemba leaders to provide oversight of VMMC procedures and postoperative treatment for all moderate and severe AEs within the camp setting. Of 672 male camp residents ages 10 and older, 657 (98%) chose VMMC. Only 3 (0.5%) moderate infections occurred among VMMC clients; all were promptly treated and healed well. Although the successful collaboration required many years of investment to build trust with community leaders and members, it ultimately resulted in a successful model that paired traditional circumcision practices with modern VMMC, suggesting potential for replicability in other similar sub-Saharan African communities.