Dramatic increase in male circumcision

The World Health Organization reported a dramatic increase in the number of African men choosing to be circumcised, the Swazi Observer reports. About 5.8 million men have become circumcised in 14 eastern and southern African countries since 2008, and nearly half of those procedures were conducted in 2013. Attaining and then maintaining 80 percent coverage of male circumcision in the 14 countries could prevent an estimated 3 million HIV infections and save more than $16 billion in future health care costs, but experts at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia, warned of a shortfall of about $710 million in the funding needed through 2016 to achieve that goal (Swazi Observer, 24 July 2014).