Image source: Daily Nation
National voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programmes in sub-Saharan African countries provided nearly 30 million preventive circumcisions between 2007 and 2020, which are estimated to avert 1·6 million HIV infections by 2030. Consequently, VMMC is positioned as a pillar of the regional strategy for controlling the HIV epidemic.
Most of these circumcisions were done in individuals aged 10 years or older, who could begin reaping the benefits of HIV prevention either immediately or soon after the procedure (eg, at sexual debut), which is expected to decrease transmission rates over the next decade. The appropriate role of early infant male circumcision (EIMC) in these settings, particularly in the longer term, is a more complex question.
The Shang Ring tool is set to change the narrative of early infant male circumcision (EIMC) in Africa. The Lancet Global Health report the findings of a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial comparing the safety and efficacy of the ShangRing, a surgical assist device new to the infant age group. The researchers conclude that the ShangRing is a safe option for EIMC as existing options, positioning the HIV-related innovation as a new, possibly safer device—and the price competition it could bring—could broaden the options available to programmes allocating scarce resources to control the HIV epidemic.
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