90-90-90 + VMMC scale-up

A modelling study suggests that achieving scale-up of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) as well as UNAIDS’ 90-90-90 HIV testing and treatment targets would result in even greater reductions in new HIV infections, Aidsmap reports. Published in a special collection of the journal PLoS One, the study estimated the cost-effectiveness of reaching 90 percent prevalence of circumcision among 15- to 49-year-old males in four countries and its potential contribution to HIV prevention under three scenarios involving different levels of HIV testing, treatment, and viral suppression. Adding VMMC scale-up to these scenarios, the authors wrote, “demonstrated additional reductions in HIV incidence and lower long-term program costs in models applied to Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda.” Scaling up VMMC in the context of a 75% viral suppression rate was shown to achieve reductions in new HIV infections on par with those associated with reaching all three 90 percent targets (Aidsmap, 5 January 2017).