Male circumcision can reduce acquisition of HIV – Cochrane

To lend credence to the study, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has now recommended voluntary medical male circumcision for prevention of HIV in heterosexual men, according to official statement from Cochrane Nigeria.In Nigeria and other countries, many do not fancy the idea of male circumcision.Experts explain that male circumcision is the surgical removal of all […]

To lend credence to the study, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has now recommended voluntary medical male circumcision for prevention of HIV in heterosexual men, according to official statement from Cochrane Nigeria.
In Nigeria and other countries, many do not fancy the idea of male circumcision.
Experts explain that male circumcision is the surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin of the penis (for religious, traditional reasons) shortly after birth or in childhood, or for medical reasons to treat infections, injuries or correct anomalies of the foreskin.
According to the medical study, ‘randomized and controlled’ trials involving 11,054 men were performed by skilled practitioners in a sterile clinic environment.
“These trials were conducted in parts of West Africa, South Africa and Kenya. Participants were men aged 18 to 24 years but in Uganda, trials ranged from 15 and 49 years.
“The results of the study show that there is strong evidence that medical male circumcision reduces the acquisition of HIV by heterosexual men by between 38% and 66% over 24 months,” said the study.
Prof Martin Meremikwu, head of the Nigerian Branch of South African Cochrane Centre at a briefing in Calabar raised alarm over the burden of pneumonia which the organization says kills more than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Prof. Meremikwu said that they conducted researches and findings on health issues, including pneumonia which has become a silent killer disease, and discovered that 143 children out of every 1000 birth die in Nigeria as a result of pneumonia.
Prof  Meremikwu, a doctor at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) said, “pneumonia kills 300,000 children in India yearly, while Nigeria is second globally with 143,000 deaths in children,” he said.
Dr Ekong Udoh, another discussant at the event, enlightened that pneumonia is caused by micro-organism, the environment, accidental injection of kerosene into food, abnormalities in the respiratory system and others.
He listed some of the ways of managing the disease in children to include, exclusive breast feeding in the first six month, regular hand-washing, clean environment, routine immunization, avoidance of smoke and others.