Countries involved in the United States’ President’s Emergency Program For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will now have the opportunity to seek funds to increase access to circumcision procedures in order to reduce HIV transmission, U.S. health officials said on Sunday.

Recent studies have shown that circumcision can reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 60 percent in some cases. While the funding for such measures would be small at first, officials say that it will likely become an important component of prevention aid.

An estimated 30 percent of men worldwide are circumcised, according to the World Health Organization.