PrePex is the only non-surgical adult male circumcision device specially designed to scale-up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programs for HIV/AIDS prevention in 14 priority countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Circ MedTech Ltd., developer and manufacturer of the PrePex™ male circumcision device, today announced it would offer the device at a reduced price for Sub-Saharan African VMMC priority countries that employ male circumcision programs as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy.
Governments of 14 priority countries, identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be able to procure the device at $12 USD per unit in accordance with Circ MedTech’s policy. The public health price – discounted from $20 USD per unit – applies to procurement of PrePex for implementation in Sub-Saharan African VMMC priority countries. By offering PrePex at a reduced price, national male circumcision programs can enhance scale-up efforts, reaching more citizens faster, while saving healthcare funds.
PrePex was acknowledged by African governments as an effective means of scaling-up male circumcision programs and to generate demand among men. In Rwanda, the Ministry of Health aims to circumcise 800,000 men by 2016, through a massive PrePex rollout. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care recently included the PrePex device as an integral part of its national VMMC Action Plan with a target of circumcising 1.3 million men by 2018. South Africa and Uganda are in advanced stages of PrePex implementation, and have each set a goal of reaching more than four million men with male circumcision services. Other countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Lesotho and Swaziland are in varying phases of PrePex implementation.
Eddy Horowitz, Circ MedTech’s CEO, said: “We are proud to demonstrate our commitment toward an AIDS-free generation together with our partners in the HIV/AIDS prevention field. Through this initiative we can prevent transmission of diseases, reduce costs to public health systems and save countless lives.”
Research conducted by the WHO shows that male circumcision can reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS together with other sexually-transmitted infections and cancer-causing viruses. The surgical procedures are generally costly, painful and time consuming, which is why Circ MedTech has announced the initiative of providing PrePex, the company’s innovative non-surgical device, for public health programs.
The PrePex device is currently available for adult males and will be available for adolescent boys in the near future. In addition, Circ MedTech is in advanced stages of adapting the PrePex technology for use with infants and children.
Mr. Horowitz added: “PrePex provides an easier, more convenient and cost-effective way of conducting male circumcision, both for patients and for healthcare providers. With our introduction of the non-surgical device for infants and children, PrePex will improve the male circumcision experience for men, boys and infants worldwide.”
Background Information on the PrePex Device
In 2007, the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) began advocating male circumcision as a preventive means of fighting HIV transmission after studies found that it reduces the risk of heterosexually-acquired HIV/AIDS infection by approximately 60%.
In December 2011, UNAIDS, in partnership with the US Government (PEPFAR), the WHO , the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank, launched an accelerated action plan to circumcise 80% of adult males (equalling 20 million men) by 2015 in the 14 Sub-Saharan African countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and with low rates of male circumcision. This massive adult male circumcision effort will prevent an estimated 3.4 million new HIV infections and should result in net savings of $16.5 billion due to averted treatment and long-term healthcare costs.
To date, only 30% of this targeted audience has been reached. New scalable technologies, such as PrePex, have the potential to reach the remaining 70% by increasing demand and thus reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS.
Clinical studies, funded primarily by PEPFAR and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have validated PrePex as a safe, simple and scalable procedure. PrePex does not require injection of local anaesthesia, does not require sutures and does not result in loss of blood. It is particularly suited for developing countries, as it is cost-effective and can be conducted by nurses in non-sterile settings. With an efficient non-surgical procedure, minimal discomfort, no loss of working days and high acceptability rates, PrePex has proved its ability to significantly increase demand among men and boost the scale-up of VMMC programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
