I-TECH Botswana Awarded Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant

I-TECH Botswana is pleased to have been awarded a 5-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assist with the rollout of a safe male circumcision (SMC) program.

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy scale-up in various country settings, large numbers of people living with HIV still await treatment, and the number of new cases worldwide remains largely unchecked. For this reason, the World Health Organization, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and other global health organizations are placing increased emphasis on HIV prevention. 

SMC is proving to be a promising method of prevention. Observational studies from the past two decades have associated SMC with a lower prevalence of HIV infection, and evidence from  recent clinical trials strongly supports it as an effective intervention for adult men, decreasing their risk of acquiring HIV. 

Although SMC does not offer full protection against HIV, it is an important component of a full program of interventions, and the new SMC grant activities will be a valuable add-on to the government’s existing strategies.

In conjunction with Jhpiego, which was co-awarded the grant, and the Ministry of Health, I-TECH will be rolling out a multifaceted SMC program. Activities include updating and revising a curriculum on SMC for health care professionals and developing two training videos. I-TECH will also provide quality assurance through clinical technical assistance and mentoring, and will continuously monitor and evaluate the program. Finally, I-TECH will be partnering with the local agent for PEPFAR’s Supply Chain Management Systems to ensure that the equipment and supplies necessary for the procedure are continuously and readily available. 

I-TECH Botswana is pleased to be assisting this important initiative, and remains committed to diverse, innovative, prevention efforts.