Abstract:
Since the Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) was discovered in Malawi in 1985 it has continued to spread within different sub groups in the country. To curb the spread, there have been a number of interventions including Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC). In order to popularize the procedure, branding of VMMC intervention was done using the “NDIFE OTSOGOLA” logo. Since the branding was done, the effectiveness of the brand has not been evaluated. This qualitative study was aimed at evaluating the brand’s influence on the uptake of VMMC in traditionally non-circumcising rural areas like in Dowa district which started providing VMMC services in 2012. Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) constructs were used to develop data collection tools. Interviews were done with purposely sampled 34 respondents using In Depth Interviews, and 29 respondents using two Focus Group Discussions in three selected health facilities’ catchment areas. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed and coded according to themes. The analysis revealed that awareness levels of the brand was very low although the brand had been in existence for seven years by the time of the study. The brand could not be recalled by over three quarters of the participants. The small portion able to recall mentioned that the brand informs them of the availability of VMMC services in the district and it was meant to assist them make an informed choice. Most women mentioned that they were reminded that they would be protected from developing cervical cancer in future. The majority also mentioned that the brand could play a part in decision making processes, promote readiness and motivate target groups to go for VMMC if they are exposed to it constantly. Despite some positive perceptions and attitudes towards VMMC among males and females, there still remained some pockets of negative perceptions and misunderstandings affecting uptake of VMMC services in the district arising from cultural norms. The findings also showed that peers could be an important influence in motivating men to seek VMMC services in rural areas. The study recommends that Health Workers in the district should ensure that the community members are constantly exposed to the brand on VMMC, and that visibility of the brand should be enhanced by using a mix of channels, not just the Health Office branded vehicle and posters as was the case at the time of the study to improve uptake of VMMC services in the district.
