Our work, without borders
SafeCirc® has partnered with Ghanaian midwives and birthcare providers to provide clinically advanced circumcision care. We’re just getting started.
The work SafeCirc® does in Ghana is rooted in a simple belief: every family deserves access to safe, high-quality newborn care, regardless of where they live.
Dr. David Tomlinson and his team have worked alongside Ghanaian midwives and local leaders to develop standardized training, strengthen existing care pathways, and lay the groundwork for a Center of Excellence in Ghana.
Our unwavering commitment to Ghana
This care is all offered free of charge, through the generosity of donors who share that vision.
Our approach to care
No matter the geography, we serve with humility.
-
Dr. Tomlinson's global health work spans more than two decades, with partnerships across Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. As a consultant to the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the Gates Foundation, he has helped build training programs that support providers in diverse healthcare systems around the world. SafeCirc®'s international mission is an extension of the same standard of care it delivers to families in New England — because geography should never determine the quality of care a family receives.
-
The SafeCirc® approach focuses on two essential pillars: improving quality through evidence-based techniques and expanding access to safer procedures within existing care pathways. Rather than building parallel infrastructure, SafeCirc® embeds safer practices into the systems families already trust. Collaboration with midwives, doulas, obstetricians, and pediatric providers is central to the SafeCirc® model, ensuring continuity of care and respect for family preferences.
-
In Ghana, circumcision is most often performed by midwives — the most trusted providers of newborn and maternal care — and typically occurs between 7 and 14 days of life, after families have returned home from the hospital. SafeCirc® works directly with these providers, meeting them within the systems they already operate in. By investing in the people families already rely on, SafeCirc® strengthens care from the inside out.
The work
-
![]()
Reducing HIV transmission rates
Male circumcision has been shown to reduce the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection by approximately 60%, and the World Health Organization recognizes it as an effective HIV prevention strategy, particularly in regions with higher HIV prevalence. For families in Ghana and across sub-Saharan Africa, access to safe, standardized circumcision care is a meaningful part of protecting the health of future generations. SafeCirc® is committed to making that access a reality.
-
![]()
Training and collaborating with midwives
Despite the frequency of circumcision in Ghana, early infant male circumcision has not historically been part of formal midwifery education, resulting in variation in technique, safety practices, and access to the best care. SafeCirc® is working to close that gap by developing standardized training designed to be integrated into Ghana's national midwifery curriculum. Most recently, Dr. Tomlinson and his team spent a week working alongside Ghanaian midwives to advance safer, standardized care for newborn male circumcision.
-
![]()
Donating an innovative mobile clinic
To extend access beyond urban settings, SafeCirc® is donating a fully equipped Mercedes Sprinter ambulance configured specifically for mobile newborn care, enabling trained providers to deliver safe, standardized procedures in communities where families may otherwise be unable to access care. The vehicle is being donated to SafeCirc®'s partners in Ho, Ghana, and represents a tangible, lasting investment in the health of rural families. As Dr. Tomlinson has said, "When care is high-quality and access is local, outcomes improve."
