Achieving Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Saturation in Malawi under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR
Project Overview
The purpose of the project “Achieving Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Saturation in Malawi” under the president’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is supporting the government of Malawi in improving uptake and access to quality VMMC services in CDC-supported district. The project aims at increasing uptake of services and coverage of male circumcision among the age group 15-29 in CDC-supported District between 2020 and 2025 (end of the Project) from the current low level to 80%.
Donor : Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC)
Duration : Five year
Location : Lilongwe
Area of Focus
- Provision of VMMC service delivery through static, outreach, and mobile services.
- Strengthen targeted demand creation approaches targeting men aged 15 and above.
- Improve referral and linkage to VMMC from other service delivery points and linkage to ART services for men testing positive in VMMC setting.
- Implement minimum package of VMMC, including the minimum package of clinical and prevention services, according to national and WHO guidelines.
- Implement continuous quality improvement activities to ensure quality of services.
- Conduct regular supervision and mentorship to all sites.
- Conduct regular (bi-weekly) data reviews to monitor performance towards targets.
Capacity Statement : Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) – VMMC
CHAM’s VMMC capacity and approaches: CHAM has vast experience in VMMC programming since 2011. Between 2019 and 2022, CHAM contributed 59,071 male medical circumcisions towards the Malawi VMMC program performance (of 57,650 MCs which it was assigned as target) in 11 districts, with a combined total funding of $2,480,952.38, provided by the World Bank and CDC. CHAM uses a mixed method approach to achieve high coverage rates at a low unit cost and the model of service provision includes both fixed sites and outreach clinics. Additionally, CHAM successfully conducted Shang Ring study with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016 which led to the adoption of the device by the MOH. CHAM is therefore in a good position to implement Shang Ring upon approval.
CHAM’s competitive advantage: For this call, CHAM has 54 health facilities and 4 colleges in the VMMC targeted districts with healthcare workers that were already trained in VMMC. For over the past years, CHAM has built a strong partnership with community leaders, existing network of education, faith community and structures which are instrumental in creating an enabling environment and positive social norms around VMMC. Furthermore, CHAM health facilities are strategically placed in hard to reach areas where access to health services, including VMMC, is limited whilst demand is high. CHAM also engages with private clinics as service delivery points, a model which has improved reach to older men. This model is being considered for adoption by the MOH, to increase access to VMMC services for older males, elite men and those in hard-to-reach areas.