Albert Nyathi public circumcision this week

By Mirirai Nsingo

Renowned poet and musician Albert Nyathi will this week get circumcised.

Nyathi is also circumcision ambassador for Population Services international in Zimbabwe (PSI).

The move comes after a number of PSI celebrity ambassadors like Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Suluman Chimbetu and Footballer Hardlife Zvirekwi got circumcised.

Nyathi, who is the oldest among the celebrity ambassadors, revealed recently at Zvirekwi’s circumcision in Bulawayo, his home town in April.

“I will get circumcised this April in my hometown and I’m glad the boys have set the pace for me. By getting circumcised, I will be making an appeal for men in the country who are not yet circumcised to do so not only for themselves but for their partners as this reduces the risk of a woman contracting the human-papilloma virus which causes cervical cancer,” he said.

In a statement, PSI revealed that the dub poet will be circumcised this Thursday at the PSI Lobengula site.

PSI deputy director Dr Karin Hatzold recently told journalists that response to the male circumcision campaign had improved in the country especially in the rural areas following the celebrity campaign launch.

Since last year, more than 200 000 males have been circumcised. The country launched a massive campaign in 2009 targeting at least 1,2 million by 2015 in a bid to stem the rise in new HIV infections.

Matabeleland North is said to have recorded the highest numbers of circumcision followed by Matabeleland South comparing with other provinces in the country.

Mashonaland Central is said to have had the lowest numbers of males circumcised.

Male circumcision has been a major topic around the world given the benefits unearthed by researchers. Three random controlled trials have consistently shown that male circumcision is 60% effective in reducing HIV incidence.

The trials were done at Orange Farm in South Africa (semi-urban) Rakai, Uganda (rural) and Kisumu, Kenya (urban).

World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAids guidelines recommend male circumcision for HIV prevention in generalised epidemic settings where HIV prevention is high and circumcision is low.

However, while discussion has centred on the potential 60% protection of males against HIV, it has spectacularly failed to articulate how females can also benefit from the circumcision of their counterparts. Population Services International-Zimbabwe male circumcision officials recently said women derive numerous benefits from male circumcision.