Male circumcision managers' attitudes toward safe male circumcision program implementation and scale up in Botswana

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Safe Male circumcision (SMC) divides people for or against it, depending upon their attitudes. The Ministry of health (MOH) has built capacity in the country for rapid scale up of the program since 2009. However, despite the efforts, the number of men circumcised is lagging behind set targets. We do not know to what extent attitudes of the managers at national and district levels do influence this underperformance? The effectiveness of the managers at workplace at large will depend on their attitudes towards SMC. Managers with positive attitudes bring at workplace energy, creativity and momentum to fulfill the work objectives and goals.Objectives: The objectives of the study were to;1) establish the current situation of SMC implementation in Botswana,2) establish the required attitudes for managers towards SMC program,3) establish the attitudes of SMC managers at all levels toward SMC program,4) determine the gap between the required attitudes and SMC managers' current attitudes toward SMC, and5) Provide recommendation for reinforcing positive attitudes toward SMC program.Methods: The study used an explorative qualitative design. It was carried out at the Ministry of health headquarters and in ten districts in Botswana. A total of 26 SMC program managers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide.Results: The study found that the managers were confirming to positive attitudes toward the program as prescribed by the MOH's standards. Data revealed a positive trend in scaling up of the program albeit lagging behind set targets.Conclusion: This study looked at the desired attitudes of SMC managers should posses and the level of attitudes currently have towards the program. It was not easy to link attitude and performance of individuals. High turnover rate of SMC officers was a worrisome finding that calls for further study.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University