Dozens of Zimbabwean MPs are due to be circumcised in parliament today as part of a high profile anti-HIV drive in the country.
Up
to 68 politicians are to voluntarily go under the knife to show their
commitment to fighting the killer disease in the African nation.
The
MPs are all due to undergo the operation today at a makeshift clinic
set up inside the parliament building in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.
The
scheduled surgery is part of a high profile anti-HIV drive organised by
the campaign group Zimbabwe Parliamentarians Against HIV and Aids.
Chairman
Blessing Chebundo told the independent NewsDay newspaper dozens of MPs
had already agreed to undergo voluntary testing and counselling sessions
in parliament.
He
said: 'The response by MPs was very high and we are now doing group
counselling sessions to prepare us for the main event on Friday.
Mr
Chebundo told NewsDay all uncircumcised male MPs were being encouraged
to undergo the operation, which is thought to reduce the risk of HIV
infection by up to 60 percent.
He added that female parliamentarians had been invited to bring in their male spouses to take part in the novel public scheme.
The MPs' circumcisions form part of a major campaign against HIV in Zimbabwe.
Around
a million people in the country are believed to be infected with the
deadly sexually-transmitted disease, which if left untreated can lead to
the break down of a patient's immune system.
The
figure represents around 14 percent of Zimbabwe's population but is a
vast improvement on higher levels of HIV prevalence seen in previous
years.
Around
70,000 men are believed to have been voluntarily circumcised since 2009
as part of a government drive to tackle the disease.
The suggestion that MPs should sign up to the scheme was made last year by Zimbabwe's deputy prime minister Thokozani Khupe.
At the time many MPs spoke out aggressively against the idea.
However
dozens have since agreed to take part in the programme in the belief
doing so publicly could help tackle the stigma of HIV.
The
killer disease is controllable with drugs and Zimbabwe is one of
several African countries which has seen its rate of infection decline.
However
experts believe thousands of people remain at risk of becoming infected
due to unsafe sexual habits and poor education about the disease.
The
problem is widely believed to be exacerbated by a stigma around HIV
which prevents some people from discussing it or even agreeing to have
their status tested.
Daily Mail