Kenya: UN Wants Men 'Cut' Adopted in Prevention

World Health Organisation (WHO) says male circumcision must be part of HIV prevention package, which includes voluntary counselling and testing.Dr Kevin De Cock, director of WHO's HIV/Aids department, said the UNAids recommendation is a significant step towards HIV prevention.

"Countries with high rates of heterosexual HIV infection and low rates of male circumcision now have an additional intervention, which can reduce the risk of infection in heterosexual men," UNAids website quoted Cock on Wednesday.

Ms Catherine Hankins, director at UNAids, said a recommendation for another HIV prevention method is a move towards getting ahead of the epidemic.

Bu she added: "However, we must be clear. Male circumcision does not provide complete protection against HIV."

Late last year, results from trials done in the country showed that there was a 53 to 60 per cent reduction in HIV risk among circumcised men. Results from similar research in Uganda and South Africa replicated the two-year study on 2,784 young people in Kisumu.

It remains to be seen if the Ministry of Health will entrench the UN recommendations in its national policy.

About 665 million men -30 per cent of men population in the world - are circumcised.

The national HIV prevalence rate has gone down to less that six per cent.

However, the rates are much higher in some areas such as Suba Districts, where it stands at about 30 per cent.

Siaya's prevalence is 29 per cent, while it is 14 per cent in Migori District.