The spread of HIV/AIDS is something that many governments have invested in a lot of money to try curb. AIDS is seen as a dreaded disease as it takes lives and in the process distabilizing the economy.
Governments and civil societies have done everything humanly possible to deal with HIV/AIDS. This has included conducting free tests, guidance and counselling and offering contraceptives. Governments have also funded research so as to find out more proper and prudent ways of dealing with the HIV menace.
Some of the findings of these researches have revealed that male circumcision helps a great deal in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS.
It is for this reason therefore that a female MP in Tanzania has called for checks to determine whether or not her male colleagues have undergone circumcision – a procedure known to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.
Jackline Ngonyani on Friday said any MP found not to have been circumcised should be required to undergo the procedure.
Her suggestion divided opinion among her colleagues.
HIV is seen as a major threat to public health in Tanzania.
Around 70 per cent of the male population is circumcised.
Around 5 per cent of Tanzania’s adult population is believed to have been infected by HIV – giving it the 13th highest rate of infection in the world, according to figures from 2016.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual men contracting HIV by around 60 per cent.
Several African countries that are fighting HIV epidemics have launched campaigns to encourage men to undergo the procedure, which involves surgically removing the foreskin from the penis.
Ngonyani made the comments during a debate in parliament about how to curb the spread of HIV in the country.
Her suggestion was backed by MP Joseph Selasini.