Health worker perspectives on, and health system-level facilitators and barriers to early infant male circumcision for HIV prevention in a traditionally non-circumcising community, Northeastern Uganda: a cross-sectional qualitative study

EIMC was perceived as a comparatively beneficial intervention for possible HIV prevention because, compared to VMMC, it is technically simpler, safer, potentially low-cost, and wound healing is faster. Nevertheless, some health workers raised concerns about EIMC. Leadership support, funding, health workers' EIMC training, equipment, and supplies availability facilitated EIMC. Some facilitators were short-lived as a lack of continued funding and supplies stock-outs were major EIMC barriers. Successful implementation requires sustained EIMC financing and addressing the concerns of some health workers, in addition to the identified health system-related barriers.