PrePex Male Circumcision: Follow-Up and Outcomes during the First Two Years of Implementation at the Rwanda Military Hospital

The Role of Nurses and Midwives in Expanding and Sustaining Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Services for HIV Prevention: A Systematic and Policy Review

ABSTRACT

Male circumcision reduces men's risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual sex, and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is central to HIV prevention strategies in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. Nurses have emerged as primary VMMC providers; however, barriers remain to institutionalizing nurse-led VMMC. Patient safety concerns have hindered task sharing, and regulations governing nurse-performed VMMC are not always supportive or clear. We performed a systematic review on VMMC safety by provider cadre and a desk review of national policies governing the VMMC roles of nurses and midwives. Also, VMMC by nurses is safe and has become standard practice. Countries had multiple policy combinations among different documents, with only one disallowing VMMC by these cadres. Countries with alignment between policies often ensured that nursing workforces were equipped with clinical competencies through national certification. Regulatory clarity and formalized certification for nurse-performed VMMC can increase program sustainability and build nursing capacity to meet other critical basic surgical needs.

Male circumcision and global HIV/AIDS epidemic challenges

Background

Given the devastating mortality and morbidity associated with HIV/AIDS, many potential prevention measures against HIV infection continue to be explored. Most prevention methods are in the realm of sexual behavior change. However, of all aspects of human behavior, it is sexual behavior that is least amenable to change. Newer and simpler interventions are therefore required. Male circumcision, the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin (or prepuce) from the penis, is one of the ways being promoted as a preventive measure. This paper reviews the scientific basis and evidence for the efficacy of male circumcision within the context of the global challenges involved.

Main body

We reviewed articles with emphasis on male circumcision and HIV/AIDS transmission. Published abstracts of presentations at international scientific meetings were also reviewed.

Conclusions

Current epidemiological evidence supports the promotion of male circumcision for HIV prevention, especially in populations with high HIV prevalence and low circumcision rates. Three notable randomized control trials strengthen the case for applied research studies to demonstrate that safe male circumcision is protective at the population level, particularly as ideal and well-resourced conditions of a randomized trial are often not replicated in other service delivery settings. Ethically and culturally responsive strategies in promoting circumcision in a culturally heterogenous world need to be developed, too. Male circumcision should also be viewed as a complementary measure along with other proven approaches to turn the HIV/AIDS epidemic around.

Health Professional Training and Capacity Strengthening Through International Academic Partnerships: The First Five Years of the Human Resources for Health Program in Rwanda

BACKGROUND

The Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program (HRH Program) is a 7-year (2012-2019) health professional training initiative led by the Government of Rwanda with the goals of training a large, diverse, and competent health workforce and strengthening the capacity of academic institutions in Rwanda.

METHODS

The data for this organizational case study was collected through official reports from the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH) and 22 participating US academic institutions, databases from the MoH and the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) in Rwanda, and surveys completed by the co-authors.

RESULTS

In the first 5 years of the HRH Program, a consortium of US academic institutions has deployed an average of 99 visiting faculty per year to support 22 training programs, which are on track to graduate almost 4600 students by 2019. The HRH Program has also built capacity within the CMHS by promoting the recruitment of Rwandan faculty and the establishment of additional partnerships and collaborations with the US academic institutions.

CONCLUSION

The milestones achieved by the HRH Program have been substantial although some challenges persist. These challenges include adequately supporting the visiting faculty; pairing them with Rwandan faculty (twinning); ensuring strong communication and coordination among stakeholders; addressing mismatches in priorities between donors and implementers; the execution of a sustainability strategy; and the decision by one of the donors not to renew funding beyond March 2017. Over the next 2 academic years, it is critical for the sustainability of the 22 training programs supported by the HRH Program that the health-related Schools at the CMHS significantly scale up recruitment of new Rwandan faculty. The HRH Program can serve as a model for other training initiatives implemented in countries affected by a severe shortage of health professionals.

A prospective cohort study of safety and patient satisfaction of voluntary medical male circumcision in Botswana

Randomized trials have shown that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) significantly reduces the risk of HIV acquisition in men. However, the rate of complications associated with the surgical procedure varies from 0.7% to 37.4% in real-world settings. We assessed the frequency, type and severity of adverse events following VMMC among 427 adult men surgically circumcised in southeastern Botswana; 97% completed ≥1 follow-up visit within seven days post-circumcision. Thirty moderate AEs were observed in 28 men resulting in an overall AE rate of 6.7%. Patient satisfaction was high: >95% were very or somewhat satisfied with the procedure and subsequent follow-up care.

Building Workforce Capacity Abroad While Strengthening Global Health Programs at Home: Participation of Seven Harvard-Affiliated Institutions in a Health Professional Training Initiative in Rwanda

A consortium of 22 U.S. academic institutions is currently participating in the Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program (HRH Program). Led by the Rwandan Ministry of Health and funded by both the U.S. Government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the primary goal of this seven-year initiative is to help Rwanda train the number of health professionals necessary to reach the country's health workforce targets. Since 2012, the participating U.S. academic institutions have deployed faculty from a variety of health-related disciplines and clinical specialties to Rwanda. In this Article, the authors describe how U.S. academic institutions (focusing on the seven Harvard-affiliated institutions participating in the HRH Program-Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) have also benefited: (1) by providing opportunities to their faculty and trainees to engage in global health activities; (2) by establishing long-term, academic partnerships and collaborations with Rwandan academic institutions; and (3) by building the administrative and mentorship capacity to support global health initiatives beyond the HRH Program. In doing this, the authors describe the seven Harvard-affiliated institutions' contributions to the HRH Program, summarize the benefits accrued by these institutions as a result of their participation in the program, describe the challenges they encountered in implementing the program, and outline potential solutions to these challenges that may inform similar future health professional training initiatives.

Circumcision and its effects in Africa

Male circumcision is one of the most commonly performed procedures in Africa, with a wide variation between the different regions on the practice. This is because circumcision is often done for religious and cultural or traditional reasons, which includes being part of rituals or rite of passage to adulthood. There had been few medical indications for the procedure until the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic, which is prevalent in many of the countries in the region. Evidence from randomized controlled trials conducted in the continent had shown that male circumcision could be instrumental to reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS in heterosexual couples in high disease prevalent and low circumcision prevalent areas. This had led to the roll-out of large population-based adult male circumcisions as well as the development of tools to facilitate the procedure. Circumcision, however, is not without complications and the incidence appears related to the age of the patient, where the procedure was done, technique used and level of proficiency of the practitioners. This article reviews the practice of circumcision in Africa and highlights the impact of the procedure on the continent.

Sutureless Adult Voluntary Male Circumcision with Topical Anesthetic: A Randomized Field Trial of Unicirc, a Single-Use Surgical Instrument

Introduction

The World Health Organization has solicited rapid and minimally invasive techniques to facilitate scale-up of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).

Study design

Non-blinded randomized controlled field trial with 2:1 allocation ratio.

Participants

75 adult male volunteers.

Setting

Outpatient primary care clinic.

Intervention

Open surgical circumcision under local anesthetic with suturing vs. Unicirc disposable instrument under topical anesthetic and wound sealing with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive.

Primary Outcome

Intraoperative duration.

Secondary Outcomes

Intraoperative and postoperative pain; adverse events; time to healing; patient satisfaction; cosmetic result.

Results

The intraoperative time was less with the Unicirc technique (median 12 vs. 25 min, p < 0.001). Wound healing and cosmetic results were superior in the Unicirc group. Adverse events were similar in both groups.

Conclusions

VMMC with Unicirc under topical anesthetic and wound sealing with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive is rapid, heals by primary intention with superior cosmetic results, and is potentially safer and more cost-effective than open surgical VMMC.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02443792