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| CMMB information table |
This past Friday I was lucky enough to travel to Durban with
some of my colleges to attend a conference on medical male circumcision in
South Africa. The goal of the conference was to discuss
the progress that has been made since the MMC campaign launched in the province
two years ago. Those invited to the conference included Amakhosi, Izinduna,
youth organizations, healthcare professionals, NGOs, community-based organizations,
and donor organizations. Amakhosi are the chiefs of different areas in South
Africa, and Izinduna are the second in charge to the Amakhosi. We arrived at the
conference and set up an information table on CMMB and the services we provide
at our MMC clinic. There were several other organizations that also set up
tables with their own pamphlets on MMC. Once the conference started, we
listened to several speakers talk about an overview of MMC in KwaZulu-Natal, how
to foster collaboration between service providers, and the necessity for scaling
up MMC.
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| Small group discussion |
We then split into 3 “commissions” to talk in small groups about different
topics. My group focused on the myths of
MMC, the effects of those myths, proper scientific facts, and how to address and
correct the myths. It was great to hear other health care professionals voice
their opinions and concerns about how to promote and improve MMC. I had no idea so many different stakeholders
for MMC were in South Africa and that they were so involved. Just before the
end of our small group discussion, one doctor stood up and shared some of his opinions. He said he’s been circumcising for several
decades and has learned one crucial thing: We should not set targets based on a
headcount. When we focus solely on the
numbers, it decreases the quality of care we are able to provide. He admitted
that once circumcised around 100 boys in one day (a large gain for reaching
targets), but confesses he is ashamed because he knows he did not take the time
to talk with each boy or supervise nurses suturing the wound after he cut. The doctor spoke very passionately about this
issue, and it was definitely the message I walked away with after leaving the conference. Before the end of the conference, the MEC
from the department of health gave a brief speech about the different methods
of MMC and how health care providers should support one another to achieve our
goals and provide quality care.
We left
the conference and took a quick detour to see the beach since both Winrose and
I had never been to Durban. It was my
first time seeing the Indian Ocean! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and enjoyed
the view before heading back home. It
was a long 2 hour drive back, but I had a great experience in Durban at the conference
and I’m hoping to attend more in the future!
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