2012 GLOBAL REPORT
01 Countries that have given priority to male circumcision have established national targets for the number of voluntary medical male circumcisions to be performed by 2015. Rolling out medical male circumcision in Kenya is focused on Nyanza Province, where 54% of the targeted 230 000 male circumcisions have been performed as of December 2011. Ethiopia and Swaziland achieved more than 20% of their national target for voluntary medical male circumcision. In other priority countries, progress has been much slower (Table 1.1). In six countries (Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe), less than 5% of the target number of men had been circumcised by the end of 2011 (11). Only two of the priority countries (Ethiopia and Swaziland) have integrated male circumcision into infant care programmes. The unit cost of voluntary medical male circumcision is relatively low, and unlike most other prevention or treatment efforts, requires only one-time rather than lifelong expenditure. Nevertheless, countries have allocated relatively few resources towards scaling up this intervention, with less than 2% of total HIV expenditure allocated to voluntary medical male circumcision in 6 of the 14 priority countries with data available (Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda and Swaziland). Some countries, such as Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Swaziland, have increased expenditure for rolling out circumcision more recently. Given the lifelong risk reduction that male circumcision confers, it is clear that, the earlier programmes invest in ensuring high levels of coverage, the better.
Preventing HIV infection in sex work The number of countries reporting data on epidemiological trends and service coverage pertaining to sex workers significantly increased from 2006 to 2012, reflecting greater official recognition of the HIV-related needs of this population. Among generalized epidemic countries, country-reported HIV prevalence is consistently higher among sex workers in the capital city than among the general population with a median of 23% (Fig. 1.4). Median country-reported HIV prevalence among sex workers in the capital cities has remained stable between 2006 and 2011. Similarly, a recent review of available data from 50 countries, which estimated the global HIV prevalence among female sex workers at 12%, found that female sex workers were 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than are other women (12).
13.5 Ă— Female sex workers are 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than are other women.
Nearly three quarters of reporting countries (73%) indicated they have implemented risk-reduction programmes for sex workers. Among 58 countries reporting data from surveys in capital cities, the median coverage of HIV prevention services for sex workers is 56% (Table 1.2), only marginally higher than in 2010, with 11 countries reportedly reaching at least 80% of sex workers. Although countryreported data remain limited and consistent comparisons across countries are difficult, countries that lack legal protections for sex workers appear to have lower median prevention coverage. According to data provided by 85 countries, 85% of sex workers in capital cities report having used a condom the last time they had sex. Sexual transmission
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