Zambia launches VMMC campaign

Two million men and boys have been circumcised in Zambia since the government’s voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programme began in 2007, the Lusaka Times reports. In a speech read at the 3 August launch of a national VMMC campaign, a Ministry of Health official said that the 170,000 VMMCs performed this year as of 30 June represent 44 percent of the goal of 400,000 for 2018. He added that the VMMCs performed in Zambia so far have prevented about 17,000 new HIV infections; by meeting its goals for VMMC, the programme can avert an estimated 225,000 new HIV infections by 2030 (Lusaka Times, 3 August 2018).