The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has come forward with a US$50 million grant to fund mass circumcisions in several East African countries. While this sounds like a huge investment, it is but a drop in the bucket to reach the levels of circumcision prevalence required as asserted by the pro-circumcision lobby to achieve any population level effect - an effect which has been shown by Garenne and others to be illusory.
In any event, US$50 million will fund only about 600,000 circumcisions. A lot to be sure, but not enough. And therefore akin to throwing money on the bonfire.
