WASHINGTON, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
PrePex - the ONLY non-surgical male circumcision device - was specially designed to scale-up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programs for HIV/AIDS prevention in 14 priority countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) expanded the Intended Use of the currently-prequalified PrePex device to include adolescents aged 13 years, and above. Effective immediately, the PrePex device, manufactured by Circ MedTech, can be offered for adult and adolescent males in the 14 priority countries in Southern and Eastern Africa. PrePex was the first male circumcision device to receive WHO Prequalification on 31 May 2013.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370661 )
Circ MedTech's CEO, Eddy Horowitz said: " The expanded use of PrePex for younger ages will sustain Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programs in the 14 Sub-Saharan Africa priority countries and will serve the new UNAIDS Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of an additional 27 Million male circumcisions by the year 2020."
Circ MedTech Ltd. is in the advanced stages of adapting its PrePex technology for use with infants and children, thus offering safe male circumcision services to all ages, worldwide.
To date, more than 125,000 PrePex procedures have been conducted in 12 countries, namely: Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Indonesia. More than 11 national Training Centers are located across Africa, training local healthcare professionals.
Offering an efficient non-surgical procedure, minimal discomfort, no loss of work or school days and high rates of acceptability, PrePex - endorsed by Bill Gates and other world leaders - has proved its ability to significantly increase demand among men and boost the scale-up of male circumcision programs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Eddy Horowitz will speak at the round table discussion "Introducing Innovation into Developing Countries"; the PrePex device will be presented at the Start-Up Pavilion on May 24th 2016 at the IATI BioMed 2016 Conference.
Background on PrePex™
Medical male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male sexual transmission of HIV by up to 70%. Since 2007, WHO and UNAIDS have recommended voluntary medical male circumcision as an additional important strategy for HIV prevention, particularly in settings with high HIV prevalence and low levels of male circumcision, where the public health benefits will be maximized. Fourteen countries in eastern and southern Africa with this profile have initiated programs to expand male circumcision. Achieving the UNAIDS (SDG) target of circumcising 27 million men in Africa by the year 2020 will save millions of lives and billions of USD due to averted treatment and care.
However, surgical circumcision procedures are generally costly, painful and time consuming, which is why Circ MedTech developed PrePex - the only non-surgical device that is safer, faster and less expensive than any surgical male circumcision methods or devices available.
Use of the PrePex device does not require injection of local anaesthetic, needs no sutures and does not result in bleeding or loss of work days. The simple, scalable and cost-effective procedure can be performed by nurses, in a non-sterile setting. The task-shifting (from doctor to nurse) further increases the ability of HIV prevention programs to meet their challenging circumcision targets. PrePex is prequalified by the World Health Organization, FDA cleared and CE marked.
Endorsed by world leaders, PrePex is a laureate of the 2015 Tech Awards for innovative technology benefitting humanity - and a laureate of the 2012 GBCHealth Awards.
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