MORE than 40,000 Zimbabwean men have undergone circumcision since the programme was launched in 2010 to help reduce the risk of HIV.
Officials from the ministry of health and child welfare attributed the high statistics to widespread health awareness campaigns carried out in the southern African country.
The government has set a goal of circumcising 1.2 million men by 2015.
Circumcision is said to reduce the risk of HIV in men by approximately 60 percent.
Sinokuthemba Xaba, Zimbabwe`s national male circumcision coordinator, told the New Ziana: "About 11,000 men were circumcised by December 2010 but over 20,000 have been circumcised this year alone."
He said preparations were under way for the launch of a neonatal circumcision programme, where the medical procedure will be performed on male babies right after they are born.
"Neonatal circumcision has not yet been introduced, but preparations are under way. The initial pilot will not be prioritised in the short term due to limited resources but will have long-term plan from 2015 and beyond," he said.
He said the neonatal male circumcision would also be done free of cost.
He urged the people -- men as well as women -- to use condoms meant for both sexes, and remain faithful to their partners to avoid HIV.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries worst affected by HIV/AIDS in the sub-region although transmission rates have been declining in the last few years.