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Expanding Coverage of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision through the Private Sector in Namibia

In 2012, Namibia became the first country in the world to cover voluntary medical male circumcision through medical aid (private health insurance) as an HIV preventive benefit. This brief describes how the SHOPS project worked with the public and private sectors to standardize the fee for the procedure and train private providers so that more Namibian men and boys could access this benefit. Recommendations include further efforts to create demand for voluntary medical male circumcision, which should be sector-neutral and allow potential clients to understand that both public and private service delivery points exist for the procedure.