HIV+ pregnant women to receive full ART
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Thu 30 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
COMMENT - This is a crime. Foetuses aren't supposed to develop while swimming in ARV's, which are failed chemotherapy pills, found too toxic in fighting cancer. When HIV diagnosis is based on a single positive ELISA P24 test, that's a crime. - MrK
THE government plans to introduce Option B+ in preventing mother to child transmission, which will entail placing pregnant women found to have HIV on full antiretroviral treatment regardless of their CD4 count.
In an interview, Dr Kebby Musokotwane, who is Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMCT) specialist at the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, said Option B+, to be initiated as a pilot project, would enable pregnant women with HIV to suppress the virus by accessing full treatment.
"We are rolling out Option B+, which will be piloted in some sites before we fully role it out. Option B+ entails a pregnant woman found to have HIV being placed on full antiretroviral treatment regardless of one's CD4 count as opposed to being offered a short course," Dr Musokotwane explained.
He said this would also help health workers in attending to clients placed on treatment as the current system entails one being placed on a short course and later on being placed on another course on the return visit.
Dr Musokotwane said the pilot sites were yet to be selected although site identification had been done.
Labels: FRAUD, HEALTHCARE, HIV/AIDS, SEBBY MUSOKOTWANE
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Culture of silence among women not working - WiLSA
By Fridah Nkonde
Thu 16 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
MEN who have any kind of infectious disease have an obligation to tell their partners about it, says Women and Law in Southern Africa national coordinator Maimbo Ziela. And Ziela says the culture of silence among women has not worked for them.
Commenting on the Chipata Local Court's order that a prominent Reformed Church in Zambia choir conductor, Charles Zulu, pays Loyce Nachona K5,000 as compensation for allegedly infecting her with HIV, Ziela in an interview said the court's decision was correct.
"According to the Penal Code CAP 87 under section 183, what the law says is that any person who negligently does anything which he knows and has reason to think is going to spread the infection or disease which is dangerous to life is guilty of a misdemeanor," she said.
"Now a misdemeanor is a minor offence. It is not one of the big offences we have but a minor offence. The act here does not say what it is that you would be sentenced to if you were to be found guilty. But it does say that you have committed an offence,"
She said assuming that Zulu knew that he was actually infected before he engaged in the sexual act with Nachona, he had an obligation to actually tell his partner that he had an infection that may cause harm to life.
Ziela said people knew the level of danger inflicted on the person who becomes infected with HIV, adding that the ruling in Zulu's case was appropriate in the sense that it found the person guilty of an act that could cause harm or danger to another person.
"But that is assuming that the facts which are written are exactly the facts that happened on the ground. You have got to know what exactly happened. It is very difficult to point at a person that this is the person that infected me," she said.
"But you see, the problem is not so much with me who is saying this is the person that infected me but with the person who is infected and knew that the act would cause harm to the another person. There, there is a problem."
Ziela said the background of the provision was that "any person who did an act not authorised by law or omits to discharge a legal duty and causes common injury or danger or annoyance to another person, commits a misdemeanor of a common nuisance and is liable upon imprisonment to a term of one year".
And Ziela said there was need to keep teaching women how to speak out.
She said there was also need for all counsellors to begin to teach women how to take care of themselves in all areas.
Ziela said women needed to ensure that they did not perpetually remain victims of disease and violence.
Labels: FRAUD, MAIMBO ZIELA, WILSA, WOMEN
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Royalties may shut 75pc of gold mining ector
16/01/2014 00:00:00
by The Source
IAN Saunders, chairman of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines committee on gold producers, said this week the government should review royalties on gold and speedily address other policy issues to avert a looming crisis. The risk was that most of the gold mines in the country may be forced to close down owing to viability constraints, he said.
The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe told parliamentarians on Tuesday that the government's increased tapping of the industry to boost state coffers could choke the gold miners' bottom lines and deter investors from sinking money into new projects.
A new report on the economy released on Wednesday by Econometer Global Capital said growth in Zimbabwe’s mining sector is likely to be stunted this year.
"A ban on export of unrefined gold was effected and it is obvious the consequences might be distasteful," Econometer said in its report.
Saunders, who is also CEO of New Dawn Mining, said: “There are serious viability issues in the gold industry and our assessment is that, within 90 days, 75% of the gold mines in this county will be shut unless there are policy changes."
He added that "royalties are too high,” saying the mining fees were just one of many constraints companies operating in Zimbabwe are generally facing. Producers of the precious yellow metal pay 7% in royalties for mining gold in the country.
The World Bank’s country economist for Zimbabwe told an economic symposium in Harare on Wednesday that Zimbabwe’s increased attention on the mining sector to boost its coffers would be affected by softer metals prices.
This is set to hit economic growth prospects for the current year.
"Amidst uncertainty around mineral prices and recovery in the agricultural sector, the baseline projections forecast economic growth at 4.2% in 2014," she said.
Zimbabwe is expected to have produced about 14 tonnes of gold in 2013 but there are fresh concerns that the 15 tonne projection for this year will not be attained.
The government is also putting pressure on producers of gold, diamonds and platinum to contribute royalties to a Sovereign Wealth Fund the country is setting up to abet continued decline in the economy.
Gold mines in Zimbabwe include those run by New Dawn Mining, Caledonia Mining Corporation, RioZim and Metallon Gold. Mwana Africa and Falcon Gold are also significant producers of the precious metal.
Apart from gold, Zimbabwe also has vast reserves of platinum, nickel, chrome, diamonds and coal but investors are skeptical to sink money into new projects while exploratory projects have been put on the back-burner.
Labels: FRAUD, GOLD, IAN SAUNDERS
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(GLOBALRESEARCH) JP Morgan Behind Madoff Ponzi Scheme? Pays $2 Billion to Avoid Investigation and Prosecution
By Washington's Blog
Global Research, January 06, 2014
Washington's Blog
Bernie Madoff has said all along that JP Morgan knew about – and knowingly profited from – his Ponzi schemes. So JP Morgan has agreed to pay the government $2 billion to avoid investigation and prosecution. While this may sound like a lot of money, it is spare sofa change for a big bank like JP Morgan. It’s not just the Madoff scheme.
As shown below, the big banks – including JP Morgan – are manipulating virtually every market – both in the financial sector and the real economy – and breaking virtually every law on the books. Here are just some of the recent improprieties by big banks:
* Laundering money for terrorists (the HSBC employee who blew the whistle on the banks’ money laundering for terrorists and drug cartels says that the giant bank is still laundering money, saying: “The public needs to know that money is still being funneled through HSBC to directly buy guns and bullets to kill our soldiers …. Banks financing … terrorists affects every single American.” He also said: “It is disgusting that our banks are STILL financing terror on 9/11 2013“. And see this)
* Financing illegal arms deals, and funding the manufacture of cluster bombs (and see this and this) and other arms which are banned in most of the world
* Handling money for rogue military operations
* Laundering money for drug cartels. See this, this, this, this and this (indeed, drug dealers kept the banking system afloat during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis). A whistleblower said: “America is losing the drug war because our banks are [still] financing the cartels“, and “Banks financing drug cartels … affects every single American“. And see this.)
* Engaging in mafia-style big-rigging fraud against local governments. See this, this and this
* Shaving money off of virtually every pension transaction they handled over the course of decades, stealing collectively billions of dollars from pensions worldwide. Details here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here
* Manipulating aluminum and copper prices
* Manipulating gold prices … on a daily basis
* Charging “storage fees” to store gold bullion … without even buying or storing any gold . And raiding allocated gold accounts
* Committing massive and pervasive fraud both when they initiated mortgage loans and when they foreclosed on them (and see this)
* Pledging the same mortgage multiple times to different buyers. See this, this, this, this and this. This would be like selling your car, and collecting money from 10 different buyers for the same car
* Cheating homeowners by gaming laws meant to protect people from unfair foreclosure
* Committing massive fraud in an $800 trillion dollar market which effects everything from mortgages, student loans, small business loans and city financing
* Manipulating the hundred trillion dollar derivatives market
* Engaging in insider trading of the most important financial information
* Pushing investments which they knew were terrible, and then betting against the same investments to make money for themselves. See this, this, this, this and this
* Engaging in unlawful “frontrunning” to manipulate markets. See this, this, this, this, this and this
* Engaging in unlawful “Wash Trades” to manipulate asset prices. See this, this and this
* Manipulating corporate bonds through derivatives schemes
* Otherwise manipulating markets. And see this
* Charging veterans unlawful mortgage fees
* Helping the richest to illegally hide assets
* Cooking their books (and see this)
* Bribing and bullying ratings agencies to inflate ratings on their risky investments
* Violently cracking down on peaceful protesters
The executives of the big banks invariably pretend that the hanky-panky was only committed by a couple of low-level rogue employees. But studies show that most of the fraud is committed by management.
Indeed, one of the world’s top fraud experts – professor of law and economics, and former senior S&L regulator Bill Black – says that most financial fraud is “control fraud”, where the people who own the banks are the ones who implement systemic fraud. See this, this and this.
The failure to go after Wall Street executives for criminal fraud is the core cause of our sick economy.
And experts say that all of the government’s excuses for failure to prosecute the individuals at the big Wall Street banks who committed fraud are totally bogus.
The big picture is simple:
* The big banks manipulate every market they touch
* Too much interconnectedness leads to financial instability
* The government has given the banks huge subsidies … which they are using for speculation and other things which don’t help the economy. In other words, propping up the big banks by throwing money at them doesn’t help the economy
* Top economists, financial experts and bankers say that the big banks are too large … and their very size is threatening the economy. They say we need to break up the big banks to stabilize the economy
* The big banks own the D.C. politicians … so Congress and the White House won’t do anything unless the people force change
Labels: FRAUD, JPMORGAN CHASE
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Mabo wants circumcision con men brought to justice
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 30 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
MWINILUNGA Male Circumcision coordinator Hagai Mabo has appealed to police to bring to justice a group of men masquerading as service providers from the government after they circumcised a man using a kitchen knife.
A 34-year-old man of Mwinilunga's Kabanda compound whose name has been withheld by police and medical officers for professional reasons almost bled to death on Friday after he was brutally circumcised by four men using a kitchen knife.
The conmen ran way after they noticed that they had failed to stop the man's excessive bleeding.
In an interview yesterday, Mabo said the victim who was in a critical condition the time he was picked from his house around 16:30 hours where he was circumcised from, had since been admitted to hospital and his condition was stable.
"These men are going round communities in Mwinilunga and making men and parents pay for the circumcision of their children. They are charging in some cases K50 and K40. They must be arrested because this is a serious problem and a serious health risk for the people. We have since started sensitisation campaigns and making people understand that there are conmen masquerading as professionals of male circumcision from the Ministry of Health. We are telling people that circumcision must be done at the hospital and it's only at the hospital where it's very safe and it's done at no cost," Mabo said.
Mabo said such culprits must be brought to book as they were endangering the lives of unsuspecting members of the general public through such unprofessional acts.
He further appealed to members of the general public to visit the nearest health centres whenever they want to access male circumcision services.
And police sources in Mwinilunga confirmed the matter had been reported and police were already doing their investigation.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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(NEWZIMBABWE, SOUTHERN EYE) Circumcision helps stem cancer: Khupe
18/10/2013 00:00:00
by Southern Eye
MDC-T DEPUTY leader Thokozani Khupe has backed calls for men to consider circumcision to help curb new cervical cancer infections in the country. Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV).
Khupe told Southern Eye that men need to seriously consider circumcision to not only prevent the spread of the HPV that causes cancer, but to help reduce new HIV infections.
“I am saying men should look at these issues seriously to save lives.
“If we have men who are circumcised, we will have 60% chances of not transmitting virus that causes cancer,” Khupe said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Health experts say other than reducing the spread of HIV by 60%, male circumcision offers partial protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Khupe said statistics show that 1 200 women die annually from cervical cancer that affects a further 1 800 women in Zimbabwe.
“This is the reason why I am calling on men to undergo circumcision.
“By getting circumcised men will also protect themselves from STIs and HIV,” Khupe added, noting that cervical cancer accounts for 32% of all cancers among women.
Khupe recently called for the introduction of a cancer levy to deal with all cancer-related health matters.
The World Health Organisation indicates that the high number of cervical cancer infections and deaths are as a result of HIV and Aids where women who are HIV-positive are thought to be three to five times more likely to develop cervical lesions that become cancerous.
Research shows that signs of cervical cancer include a discharge with traces of blood and pain during sexual intercourse, abnormal bleeding or a sudden change in one’s menstrual cycle that cannot be explained, among others.
Khupe’s motion was introduced Wednesday in Parliament Wednesday where she called for the setting up of centres to treat cancer around the country.
Speaker Jacob Mudenda said MPs should support the Thoko Khupe Cancer Foundation with donations, saying it was a noble idea.
Mudenda, a Zanu PF member said one of his friend’s mother was saved by Khupe’s intervention through the foundation.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS FRAUD, MDC CORRUPTION, THOKOZANI KHUPE
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Makoni fights female genital mutilation in UK
19/09/2013 00:00:00
by Metro
COMMENT - Here we go again. Betty Makoni heads the 'Girl Child Network'. Betty Makoni'sprevious scam was child trafficking in Zimbabwe, now it is 'female genital mutilation' and child rape. I guess people get tired of the same old topics. From 2009:
(ZIMBABWE NEWS ONLINE) Tainted Betty Makoni loses CNN hero to a Filipino
Gibson Mabaya 22 November, 2009 10:00:00
" In November 2009 it was reported that the Netherlands based Oxfam Novib is launching an investigation into GCN's financial management amid claims that Betty Makoni misused donor funds.The GCN founder who recently relocated to Britain is arguing that these claims were initaited by Mugabe and ZANPF as a smear campaig to puul her down. "
Also see: (ALLAFRICA, THE HERALD ZW) Zimbabwe: UK Police Probe Betty Makoni
5 January 2010
" Harare — Police in Britain have launched investigations into alleged abuse of over £15 000 collected through a public appeal by Zimbabwean activist, Betty Makoni, following a petition signed in the United Kingdom demanding the activist to account for every penny donated. "
- MrK
WHEN Betty Makoni fled her native Zimbabwe for the safety of the UK’s Essex five years ago, it was out of fear for her life.
The women’s rights campaigner was chased out of Africa by a gang of masked men armed with axes and machetes who were threatening to kill her for ‘causing them problems’ by demanding justice for child rape victims.
Makoni needed Britain. Little did she know that Britain needed her. After all, she was coming to a country with all the resources and protection she had dreamt of - highly developed social services, prosecutors and therapists (‘I didn’t have counsellors; we didn’t have words like trauma’).
The plan was to run her Girl Child Network from Britain, continuing to rescue thousands of youngsters across Africa and train them to stand up to violence and abuse.
But when she scratched the surface of girls’ lives in Britain, Makoni says she got the shock of her life.
Chief among the challenges facing the 42-year-old is a form of child abuse that is rife in the UK: female genital mutilation (FGM).
While some schoolgirls have returned for the start of a new year with a glowing tan or new hairstyle, others are beginning the term with freshly brutalised bodies.
The government says more than 20,000 girls in Britain under the age of 15 are likely to be at high risk and about 66,000 women are living with the harrowing consequences.
Newborn girls are even being taken by their parents to have their labia and clitoris partially or totally removed. According to some traditions, the vagina is then sewn up until marriage, with a tiny opening left for urine and menstruation.
Some are taken back to Africa, Asia or the Middle East to be cut by female elders of the community, while others are mutilated in Britain – sometimes at ‘cutting parties’, where parents get a group deal.
Usually performed by unskilled practitioners with unsterilised instruments and no anaesthetic, FGM causes severe pain and psychological trauma and can lead to fatal infection.
Motivated by cultural beliefs, and with no medical benefits, it is often used to control women’s sexual behaviour. Reasons given include hygiene and aesthetics, purity and honour, birth control and the promotion of fertility.
Makoni was a victim of another form of genital mutilation – labia elongation – as a child. Instead of cutting the genitals out, she says the ‘whole private parts are pulled out’.
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“It can take up to six months and is as painful as cutting,” she says. “It is about changing your sexual organs to please men. Either a woman does it, or the girl is trained to do it herself. It is like forcing a child to masturbate. Labia elongation is rampant here with African girls.”
Makoni is no stranger to abuse against women. She was raped when a young girl and her mother died after being beaten by Makoni’s father when she was just nine. It has led to a lifelong quest for justice for others.
Since 1998, the empowerment programme she pioneered in Zimbabwe has helped up to 350,000 girls across six countries.
The mother-of-three’s work has led to her being appointed a gender-based violence expert for the Foreign Office and has seen her win 33 international accolades.
These include the 2007 World Children’s Prize, which she received alongside Nelson Mandela, while in 2011 Newsweek named her in its list of 150 women who shake the world.
She is already running her girls’ club model at one London school – a pilot she wants to roll out to every girls’ school in Britain.
“Yes, it’s in abundance here – schools, teachers, social services, but they are like thirsty people in a pool of water, they can’t reach it,” says Makoni. “So London has given me homework, big homework.”
Her first assignment is to get women talking.
She says: “I was raped as a six-year-old and there was silence around it in my neighbourhood. If we talked about stolen cars and stolen cows, how come not about the stolen dignities of women?”
Makoni sees many ways to eradicate FGM: empowering girls to speak out through her schools scheme; a change to the judicial system so charities can represent victims in court without their parents’ knowledge; and public condemnation by community leaders.
She says a successful formula in Britain could be the answer for millions of desperate girls abroad.
“The elders here are very powerful – they should make the statements,” she says. “Can you imagine a girl in Yemen stopping FGM any time this century?”
But first, perhaps, we must overcome our very British sensibilities.
Are political correctness and fear of causing offence the real stumbling blocks?
“I think it’s a massive problem,” says Makoni.
“But these kids are looking for people to actually protect them. They are kids, like any British kids; what’s harmful is universal. Of course we are sensitive – for how long are we going to be sensitive when there is death right in front of our eyes.”
Labels: BETTY MAKONI, FRAUD, NGOs
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(NEWZIMBABWE, AFP) Tsvangirai aide denies vote fraud charges
27/08/2013 00:00:00
by AFP
A TOP aide to MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges arising from his reporting of election irregularities in the July31 elections won by President Robert Mugabe.
Morgan Komichi, the deputy chair of the MDC-T and Tsvangirai's delegate to the electoral commission, was arrested last month after he reported that marked ballot papers had been found in a dustbin.
The ballots, which were marked in favour of Tsvangirai, were from early voting organised for security forces on 14 and 15 July.
But when Komichi showed the ballots to the authorities while refusing to identify the whistle-blower who led him to them, he was arrested on charges of fraud and tampering with ballot papers.
Komichi, who appeared in court shackled in leg-irons, did not speak, but his lawyer said he would seek to have the charges dropped.
"The accused understands the charges that he is facing and denies them all," lawyer Alec Muchadehama told the magistrate's court.
He will "pray that he be acquitted and discharged," Muchadehama said.
Mugabe, in power in since 1980, won the 31 July polls by a landslide of 61% against Tsvangirai's 34%.
The former prime minister has rejected the election results alleging "massive fraud".
Muchadehama said Komichi would testify that the dumping of ballots was "just a tip of the iceberg" of irregularities in the vote.
"Instead of investigating and getting to the root of what could have been happening, ZEC (Zimbabwe Election Commission) sought to divert attention from its inefficiencies and deficiencies" by arresting Komichi, Muchadehama said, reading the defence outline.
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), FRAUD, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mawere faces R5m SA lottery fraud charge
11/08/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
COMMENT - It is difficult to expect ethical behaviour from a man who owns an asbesthos mine. - MrK
SOUTH Africa-based businessman Mutumwa Mawere is facing charges of allegedly defrauding the national lottery of nearly R5 million, according to a report. Mawere, who holds both South African and Zimbabwean citizenship, was picked up in Johannesburg last week. He was initially reported to have been arrested for tax fraud.
But, according to local media reports on Sunday, the former SSM Holdings owner is alleged to have used his African Heritage Society organisation to fraudulently secure a R4.5m grant from the National Lottery Distribution Fund, which is predominantly used to fund charities.
South Africa’s crack crime fighting unit, The Hawks, confirmed they had been investigating allegations that Mawere used lottery funds to enrich himself.
He allegedly applied for the grant under the pretence that his organisation would build a “corporate heritage museum” in Rivonia, Johannesburg, to promote South African heritage. According to Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko, Mawere lied to the lotteries board about how the money was spent.
“He claimed that a two-day workshop was held at a luxury hotel in Sandton, but it was later revealed that it had in fact hosted the launch of his book titled Conversations with Mawere,” Ramaloko told the newspaper.
Lotteries board chief executive Charlotte Mampane told the newspaper her organisation was aware of the investigation, but had not been formally informed about his arrest.
Mawere’s lawyer, Rod Montano, told the Sunday Independent that preparations were being made for his bail hearing on Wednesday.
The businessman successfully sued the Zimbabwe government last month after being refused a passport and publicly backed MDC-T leader and out-going Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the July 31 elections.
A former World Bank employee, Mawere was self-exiled from Zimbabwe in 2004 following legal troubles at Shabanie Mine where he was accused of defrauding the government of Z$300 billion.
He successfully fought attempts by Zimbabwean authorities to extradite him but subsequently lost his companies which were expropriated.
Labels: FRAUD, MDC CORRUPTION, MUTUMWA MAWERE
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Katema implores Zambian men to get circumcised
By Fridah Nkonde
Wed 24 July 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - Josph Katema is a fool. There is absolutely no evidence that circumcision prevents HIV infection of men, which is what it is touted as. Otherwise, circumcision is just an unneccessary and therefore unnecessarily risky medical procedure. It has the backing of hundreds of millions of dollars in donor aid, which should tell you all you need to know whose interests are being served with this continent wide campaign. To read about the fraud that is at the core of this universal circumcision drive in Africa, read here and here. The 'circumcision prevents HIV infection' claim is based on 3 surveys, 2 of which were 'stopped short for benefit', which is fraud. - MrK
COMMUNITY Development Mother and Child Health Minister Joseph Katema says all Zambian men need to be convinced to go for voluntary medical male circumcision. And Dr Katema says Zambia's National Male Circumcision programme is one of the most successful in Africa.
I'm sure the donors will be pleased to hear that. - MrK
Meanwhile, the ministry of Community Development intends to circumcise 45,000 males during the August campaign. During the launch of the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) August campaign in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Katema said there was need to dispel myths on male circumcision.
"We can only achieve this impact if we can convince all Zambian men to seek the service, while continuing other preventive measures such as correct and consistent condom use. We cannot continue to allow myths to prevent our men from undergoing a procedure which has the potential to save their lives. We need to dispel myths on male circumcision which does not: prevent pregnancy, cause impotence or erectile dysfunction, cure a man who is HIV positive," Dr Katema said.
He, however, said male circumcision had a number of other health benefits such as the reduction of urinary tract infections in infants, the reduction of penile cancer and protection against sexually transmitted infections in males.
Dr Katema said there was need to actively contribute to ensuring that Zambia achieved universal coverage of male circumcision.
Meanwhile, VMMC national coordinator Dr Albert Kaonga said to achieve universal coverage, Zambia needed to reach 1.9 million HIV negative adult males by 2015.
Dr Kaonga said over 400,000 VMMCs had been performed to date, adding that 107,000 males had been circumcised from January to July this year.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, JOSEPH KATEMA
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Circumcision drive falters as men hesitate
08/07/2013 00:00:00
by IRIN
COMMENT - That is because people know there is no connection between circumcision and HIV infection. So I guess now they can only go after newborn babies. - MrK
Low programme uptake ... Men turn their backs on circumcision
Newly-born babies to be circumcised
FUNDS for the male circumcision programme in Zimbabwe are lying idle, as the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare says not enough men are coming forward to use the service, which was launched as part of an HIV-prevention package.
Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), Zimbabwe introduced the male circumcision programme in November 2009. Studies have shown that the practice can help reduce HIV transmission in men by about 60 percent.
The government plans to circumcise about 3 million men by the end of 2015, but the target may be overly ambitious, as less than 10 percent of the targeted population has yet been circumcised.
A huge challenge in the promotion of male circumcision is that Zimbabwe is traditionally not a circumcising country. The practice is common among only a few communities in Zimbabwe, particularly the Shangani tribe of Chiredzi, in the Lowveld part of the country.
Owen Mugurungi, coordinator of the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, admitted that the response to the male circumcision programme has been extremely low, despite high levels of optimism when the programme was launched.
“We are not happy with the response for male circumcision,” he said.
“We have only circumcised close to 8 percent of the target population, whereas we need to make sure that we go way beyond 85 percent of the target population, so we need to work hard to reach that target.”
According to Mugurungi, the government could save about US$3 billion in HIV treatment if uptake of the programme is increased; through circumcision, the country could reduce the rate of infection from around 130,000 annual new infections to less than 50,000 by 2020.
Fears of surgery
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights HIV/AIDS manager Tinashe Mundawarara has called for research into the reasons behind the programme’s low uptake.
“If there is that much belief in male circumcision out there, demand would have been overwhelming. Traditional social marketing has failed to push it in the manner it has done in the promotion of condom use,” said Mundawarara.
Another barrier to the programme’s success is the fact that male circumcision is a surgical procedure, and people are generally fearful of medical procedures. Social marketing efforts should aim to allay people’s fears about circumcision, he noted.
The government hopes that the recent WHO approval, or "prequalification", of Prepex - a nonsurgical device - could help service providers address some of the fears over surgical procedures.
PrePex uses an elastic band that compresses the foreskin against a stiff plastic ring. The elastic band cuts off blood supply to the foreskin, which loses sensation and dries out, similar to the process of removing the umbilical cord of a newborn. The PrePex has to be worn for a week, after which it is removed and the dead foreskin is cut off.
According to UNAIDS country coordinator Tatiana Shomiliana, extensive consultations are underway to understand why there is such a low uptake of the circumcision programme. Preliminary investigations show that poor messaging could be a contributing factor.
“We need to talk more as stakeholders. We need to talk more as the Zimbabwean community about these issues because the rates of male circumcision are really low,” said Shomiliana.
Zimbabwe has received about $15 million from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for voluntary medical circumcision.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS FRAUD, HUMAN RIGHTS
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(NEWZIMBABWE, VOA) HIV circumcision drive misses targets
06/05/2013 00:00:00
by Slyvia Manika I VOA
THE Ministry of Health and its partners in the HIV/AIDS sector in Zimbabwe are worried about the low uptake of the male circumcision programme which was introduced as a form of HIV prevention method sometime last year.
The National Cordinator of the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Response in the Health and Child Welfare Ministry, Dr. Owen Mugurungi, says targets have not been met.
The country director of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe (UNAIDS) Tatiana Shomiliana said a lot of resources were mobilised in anticipation of the uptake of a large number of men following the circumcision of lawmakers at the beginning of the campaign.
She says feedback from stakeholders seems to suggest that the programme is not being taken seriously because of poor messaging.
Shomiliana says other research suggests that older men are less receptive to circumcision compared to young men or boys.
Dr. Mugurungi says the benefits of reducing one’s chances of HIV infection and risk of cervical cancer through circumcision should encourage men to take up the free service.
Interviews with a number of men reveal much more needs to be done by the government and its partners if they are to successfully sell the circumcision program to ordinary and suspicious Zimbabweans.
One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, views the programme with suspicion. He thinks African men are being used as guinea pigs in some form of research.
Wellington Mberi says he will not get circumcised for the same reasons that the programme is being promoted for, adding it may just give him a false sense of security, leading him to indulge in dangerous sexual exploits.
But it is not every man who has negative perceptions about the practice. Moses Mutema was circumcised. He encourages friends and colleagues to go for circumcision.
Government plans to circumcise about three million people by the end of 2015 in its bid to reduce HIV infections in the country. But at the pace at which the programme is being implemented, it looks unlikely that that target would be reached.
The World Health Organisation is encouraging male circumcision saying research shows it can help prevent HIV infection in men by about 60 percent.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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(STICKY) (LUSAKATIMES) Mopani Mines commends PF government for not succumbing to pressure to reintroduce the windfall tax.
Time Posted: April 19, 2013 7:14 am
COMMENT - Also check out the documentary Good Copper, Bad Copper on Youtube. On the outrageous poverty that is caused by the IMF and World Bank policies, in collusion with the trillionair banking dynasties and their extractive industries like Glencore, Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, etc. It is theft, nothing more. - MrK
Mopani Mines has commended the PF government for not succumbing to pressure to reintroduce the controversial mining windfall tax. Mopani Board Chairman Emmanuel Mutati says the current tax regime in the mining sector is favourable enough to encourage fresh investments.
Mr. Mutati explained that the 2008 mining windfall tax would have destroyed the mining sector if it had not been repealed.
The Board Chairman said the structure of the windfall tax was damaging to the sector as it was imposed on gross revenue unlike other countries to tax net profits.
He said the current mining variable and the mineral loyalty taxes are adequate to encourage the growth of the mining sector.
Mr. Mutati was speaking today when he met selected Business Journalists at Mopani’s new corporate offices on Alick Nkhata road.
He said Mopani Mine’s parent company Glencore has today invested over 2 billion US dollars in its operations in Zambia.
Labels: CORRUPTION, EMMANUEL MUTATI, FRAUD, GLENCORE INTERNATIONAL AG, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX
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Katema says 300,000 males circumcised
By Fridah Nkonde
Thu 04 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIA has so far circumcised over 300,000 males, with more than 50 per cent of these done during last year's three school holidays campaign, says community development minister Dr Joseph Katema.
During the official opening of the Eastern and Southern Africa regional meeting on demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Katema who was represented by his deputy Jean Kapata said Zambia intended to circumcise 80 per cent of all HIV negative uncircumcised adult males aged 15 to 49 years.
"This, it is hoped, will avert close to 340,000 new infections by 2025. It is this challenge of converting knowledge into behaviour that we are here to address. It is a formidable challenge, but I believe that we have brought together a dynamic group of experts from across the world who are uniquely suited to the task at hand," Dr Katema said.
He said the meeting offered them a great opportunity to look at their programmes from new perspectives, adding that through engaging with researchers and communication experts, he was confident that they would generate new and innovative ideas.
He said the statistics alone were not sufficient to convince any individual adult man to get circumcised.
"I hesitate to ask how many of the men in this room have gone for the service, or how many of the women here have taken their husbands. Within the region, we have been working individually to try to answer some of the questions that hinder men from accessing services since 2007, but I dare to say that we haven't gotten it right just yet. We have identified many of the challenges, but I don't think we have measured or prioritised them. It is time for a more systematic approach that includes more coordination, and broader consultation," he said.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, CORRUPTION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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COMMENT - I'm sick and tired of fact checking and disproving these jerks. The 28% number is based on the long ago debunked Ante-Natal Clinic Surveys (ANCs) of pregnant women only.
The 2011 Antenatal Sentinel HIV & Syphilis Prevalence Survey in South Africa
The DHS surveys consistently show much lower national infection rates, even though they too don't do the Western Blot confirmation test, which would reduce national infection rates down to (well) below 5%.
See this 2006 article in the Washington Post:
(WASHINGTON POST) How AIDS in Africa Was Overstated
Reliance on
Data From Urban Prenatal Clinics Skewed Early Projections
By Craig Timberg
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, April 6, 2006; Page A01
Also, the 260,000 South Africans died of AIDS last year is completely based on conjecture about how many people
should be dying given the presumptions about HIV infection, and presumptions about life expectancy, etc.
These 260,000 HIV deaths consistently do not show in the Death Notification Forms Survey, which consistently shows only 2.0 to 2.6% of deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS deaths. Also, the population decline that goes with 260,000 out of 600,000 death attributed to HIV/AIDS does not occur - South Africa's population has climbed to 52 million this year.
28pc of SA schoolgirls HIV+: Minister
14/03/2013 00:00:00
by BBC
AT LEAST 28% of South African schoolgirls are HIV positive compared with 4% of boys because "sugar daddies" are exploiting them, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said.
Matsoaledi said 94,000 schoolgirls also fell pregnant in 2011, and 77,000 had abortions at state facilities. About 10% of South Africans are living with HIV, official statistics show. Motsoaledi has been widely praised for his efforts to curb the disease.
South Africa has run the world's largest anti-retroviral (ARV) programme since President Jacob Zuma appointed him health minister in 2009.
The number of HIV-positive people receiving life-saving ARV drugs more than doubled from 678,500 to 1.5 million after he took office, according to official statistics.
The government of former President Thabo Mbeki, who questioned the link between HIV and Aids, had argued it could not afford to roll out this treatment to all the South Africans who needed it.
Destroying children
Speaking at a public meeting in the town of Carolina in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, Motsoaledi said the large number of young girls who were HIV-positive "destroyed my soul".
"It is clear that it is not young boys who are sleeping with these girls. It is old men," a local daily quoted him saying.
"We must take a stand against sugar daddies because they are destroying our children."
Motsoaledi said some pregnant girls - aged between 10 and 14 years of age - also tested positive for HIV.
"[About] 77,000 girls had abortions at public facilities. We can no longer live like that. We want to put an end to it," he said.
More than five million people in South Africa are HIV-positive - about 10% of the total population.
Last year more than 260,000 people with Aids died - almost half the figure of all those who died in the country.
Labels: FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, SOUTH AFRICA
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Storella hails govt's efforts in improving health sector
By Brina Siwale in Livingstone
Wed 13 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella says the PF government has made tremendous efforts in improving the health sector. And Ambassador Storella says the US government will continue to render support to Zambia's health sector.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Ambassador Storella said helping Zambia develop and improve the health sector would always remain a priority for the US government.
"The Zambian health sector is doing ambitious things and we have seen government doing so much to raise the health standards of the Zambian people," he said.
"One improvement is that here in Southern Province government will start scaling up cervical cancer screening; this will save a lot of lives. So we will begin to work together to construct some cervical cancer screening wards and expand to other areas. So my impressions are positive though we still have a long way to go."
Ambassador Storella said he was impressed that the country was working hard to get to zero new infections of HIV and AIDS. He said this was seen through the increase in the professional practice which would reduce the mother to child transmission of HIV.
"The US will always be a reliable partner for the Zambian health sector, and we have been increasing our funding in the last five years. In Southern Province, we spend US$5 million dollars every year and US$400 million every year on the Zambian health sector as a whole," Ambassador Storella said.
He said with First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba's commitment to fighting cervical cancer and President Michael Sata's award for spearheading the fight against malaria, the country was poised for a developed health sector
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, MARK STORELLA
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COMMENT - UNAIDS writes down it's own numbers - claims victory and wants more people on ARVs.
Keep a close eye on any changes in methodology, like survey types and testing procedures that coincide with this write down.
UNAIDS reports a more than 50% drop in new HIV infections across 25 countries as countries approach the 1000 day deadline to achieve global AIDS targets
In addition, the number of people with access to antiretroviral therapy increased by 63% in the last 24 months—AIDS-related deaths fell by more than 25% between 2005 and 2011 globally.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé announcing the 2012 World AIDS day report during the official UNAIDS press conference. Geneva, Switzerland, 20 November 2012.
GENEVA, 20 November 2012—A new World AIDS Day report: Results , by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), shows that unprecedented acceleration in the AIDS response is producing results for people. The report shows that a more than 50% reduction in the rate of new HIV infections has been achieved across 25 low- and middle-income countries––more than half in Africa, the region most affected by HIV.
In some of the countries which have the highest HIV prevalence in the world, rates of new HIV infections have been cut dramatically since 2001; by 73% in Malawi, 71% in Botswana, 68% in Namibia, 58% in Zambia, 50% in Zimbabwe and 41% in South Africa and Swaziland.
In addition to welcome results in HIV prevention, sub-Saharan Africa has reduced AIDS-related deaths by one third in the last six years and increased the number of people on antiretroviral treatment by 59% in the last two years alone.
“The pace of progress is quickening—what used to take a decade is now being achieved in 24 months,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We are scaling up faster and smarter than ever before. It is the proof that with political will and follow through we can reach our shared goals by 2015.”
For example, South Africa increased its scale up of HIV treatment by 75% in the last two years—ensuring 1.7 million people had access to the lifesaving treatment—and new HIV infections have fallen by more than 50 000 in just two years. During this period, South Africa also increased its domestic investments on AIDS to US$ 1.6 billion, the highest by any low- and middle-income country.
The report also shows that countries are assuming shared responsibility by increasing domestic investments. More than 81 countries increased domestic investments by 50% between 2001 and 2011. The new results come as the AIDS response is in a 1000 day push to reach the Millennium Development Goals and the 2015 targets of the UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.
Declining new HIV infections in children
The area where perhaps most progress is being made is in reducing new HIV infections in children. Half of the global reductions in new HIV infections in the last two years have been among newborn children. “It is becoming evident that achieving zero new HIV infections in children is possible,” said Mr Sidibé. “I am excited that far fewer babies are being born with HIV. We are moving from despair to hope.”
In the last two years, new HIV infections in children decreased by 24%. In six countries––Burundi, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Togo and Zambia––the number of children newly infected with HIV fell by at least 40% between 2009 and 2011.
Fewer AIDS-related deaths
The report shows that antiretroviral therapy has emerged as a powerful force for saving lives. In the last 24 months the numbers of people accessing treatment has increased by 63% globally. In sub-Saharan Africa, a record 2.3 million people had access to treatment. China has increased the number of people on HIV treatment by nearly 50% in the last year alone.
There were more than half a million fewer deaths in 2011 than in 2005. The largest drops in AIDS-related deaths are being seen in countries where HIV has the strongest grip. South Africa saw 100 000 fewer deaths, Zimbabwe nearly 90 000, Kenya 71 000 and Ethiopia 48 000 than in 2005.
Impressive gains were also made in reducing tuberculosis (TB) related AIDS deaths in people living with HIV. In the last 24 months, a 13% decrease in TB-related AIDS deaths was observed. This accomplishment is due to record numbers of people with HIV/TB co-infection accessing antiretroviral treatment—a 45% increase. The report recognizes the need to do more to reduce TB-related AIDS deaths.
More investments
The report shows that countries are increasing investments in the AIDS response despite a difficult economic climate. The global gap in resources needed annually by 2015 is now at 30%. In 2011, US$ 16.8 billion was available and the need for 2015 is between US$ 22-24 billion.
In 2011, for the first time ever, domestic investments from low- and middle-income countries surpassed global giving for HIV. However, international assistance, which has been stable in the past few years, remains a critical lifeline for many countries. In 26 of 33 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, donor support accounts for more than half of HIV investments. The United States accounts for 48% of all international assistance for HIV and together with the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria provide the lion’s share of investments in HIV treatment. However, countries must take steps to reduce the high dependency on international assistance for HIV treatment programmes.
1000 days to go
An estimated 6.8 million people are eligible for treatment and do not have access. UNAIDS also estimates that an additional 4 million discordant couples (where one partner is living with HIV) would benefit from HIV treatment to protect their partners from HIV infection.
(L to R): Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, UNAIDS Director, Evidence, Strategy and Results Department , Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, Annemarie Hou, UNAIDS Director of Communications presenting the 2012 World AIDS Day report. Geneva, Switzerland, 20 November 2012.
Of the 34 million people living with HIV, about half do not know their HIV status. The report states that if more people knew their status, they could come forward for HIV services.
In addition, there is an urgent need to improve HIV treatment retention rates; reduce the cost of second- and third-line treatment; and explore new ways of expanding and sustaining access to treatment, including domestic production of medicines and innovative financing.
Despite the encouraging progress in stopping new HIV infections, the total number of new HIV infections remains high—2.5 million in 2011. The report outlines that to reduce new HIV infections globally combination HIV prevention services need to be brought to scale. For example, scaling up voluntary medical male circumcision has the potential to prevent an estimated one in five new HIV infections in Eastern and Southern Africa by 2025.
The report shows that HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs. HIV prevention and treatment programmes are largely failing to reach these key populations.
“UNAIDS will focus on supporting countries to accelerate access to HIV testing and treatment. Now that we know that rapid and massive scale up is possible, we need to do more to reach key populations with crucial HIV services,” said Mr. Sidibé.
Labels: FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS
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COMMENT - Read more about the details of this crime against humanity, Doctors Opposing Circumcision, and more articles on this fraud.
(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Were we fooled, and
(NEWZIMBABWE) 150 MPs to undergo circumcision.
Zim approves infant circumcision
26/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ZIMBABWE will begin large scale circumcision of new-born babies in the new year as part of its crusade against new HIV infections.
Officials say parents will have option to opt out of the procedure, which researchers say can reduce the chances of sexual transmission of HIV by 60 percent.
Dr Sinokuthemba Xaba, the national coordinator of the government’s male circumcision programme, said they had completed trials on neo-natal circumcision and were happy with the results.
“Neo-natal circumcision is targeted at new born males and children. These will as a result be exposed to the medical benefits of the procedure at a tender age. The consent of the parents will however be given first preference before any operation is done,” Xaba said.
“It’s hoped that neo-natal circumcision will scale up the number of circumcised men which at the moment is just ten percent and enable the country to reach or even surpass our target of having 1,2 million males circumcised by 2015.”
The Health Ministry says its research has shown that 1,500 new infections are prevented for every 200,000 babies circumcised.
Recently, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) updated its position on infant circumcision, saying “the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks” after previously identifying only “potential” health benefits.
The revised policy is based on a survey of medical literature that found definite preventative and public health benefits.
Zimbabwe has 40 centres approved by the Health Ministry where men can be circumcised free of charge, but neo-natal circumcision will be performed at all major hospitals and approved clinics.
In 2011, UNAIDS and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) launched a five-year plan to have more than 20 million men in- eastern and southern African countries undergo medical male circumcision by 2015.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, SINOKUTHEMBA XABA
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"Sexual appetite shouldn't override need for circumcision"
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 22 Nov. 2012, 13:10 CAT
DR Francis Manda says Gwembe UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu's sexual appetite should not override the advatages of male circumcision.
Commenting on Ntundu's fears about circumcision and the fears that 'sweetness' of sex is lost when one gets circumcised, Dr Manda, a urologist, advised the member of parliament not to only look at his sexual appetite but also other issues which in the end could affect him.
"People who are not circumcised, they are at the risk of getting cancer of the penis and two, most of the men because of their inner foreskin which harbours the virus called human papilloma virus, they are carriers of this virus and they pass it on to women and they end up with cervical cancer. His sexual appetite should not override the advantages of circumcision," he said.
Dr Manda said Ntundu's fears were based on ego and that he was not looking at what could befall him in terms of cancer.
"He is just being selfish by looking at his sexual appetite and not looking at other issues which in the end can even affect him. He could have cancer of the penis," Dr Manda said.
Dr Manda said it was only the sensation to the manhood that was lost when one got circumcised.
"Those people who have premature ejaculations, we use circumcision as one of the forms of treating them. If he says no I am going to lose this, that's being selfish, he is looking just at sex, he is not looking at other issues in the broader spectrum," he said.
Dr Manda however, said circumcision was voluntary and that Ntundu was free to remain the way he was if he so wished.
"If his main concern is his sexual behaviour, let him remain like that, but let him not discourage others because we have seen and it is proven beyond any doubt that circumcision is one of the tools which we use in mitigating not only HIV and AIDS but other sexually transmitted diseases," said Dr Manda.
During the voluntary medical male circumcision workshop for members of parliament on Monday, Ntundu, 50, laid bare his sex life and revealed that he struggled to do one round of sex on account of his age.
"When I was young…I had my first child at the age of 17 and during that time, I used to do more rounds but now I am 50 years old and I struggle to do one round of sex. Now if I am struggling at 50, what will happen if I circumcise…I am sure you know what I am trying to say," said Ntundu, sending the audience into laughter.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CIRCUMCISION, FRANCIS MANDA, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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Storella calls MPs to go for male circumcision
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, November 19, 2012, 4:44 pm
United States (US) Ambassador to Zambia, Mark Storella, says national leaders hold the key to the reduction of new HIV infections through medical male circumcision.
Speaking during a Medical Male Circumcision Workshop for Members of Parliament today, Mr Storella urged Members of Parliament and other leaders to go for male circumcision and thereby encourage other citizens to do the same.
He said male circumcision is a huge intervention in the fight against HIV and AIDS as it reduces the risk of HIV infections by 60 per cent.
Mr Storella stated that the circumcision of 1.9 million people by 2015 target that Zambia has set for itself could translate to 339,632 new infections prevented if combined with other methods of protection.
And speaking when he launched the workshop, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mkhondo Lungu, said the workshop is meant to provide a platform for Members of Parliament to share information on male circumcision in HIV prevention, and also explore ways of how MPs can use their leadership positions to increase the numbers of people undergoing male circumcision in their constituencies.
Mr Lungu expressed gratitude to the US for increasing funding to Zambia for male circumcision from US $ 5 million to US $16 million in 2012.
[ZANIS]
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, MARK STORELLA
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