₦airaland Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dany8sr7AZ8

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr10/en/index.html

WHO and UNAIDS announce recommendations from expert consultation on male circumcision for HIV prevention
28 MARCH 2007 | PARIS/GENEVA -- In response to the urgent need to reduce the number of new HIV infections globally, WHO and the UNAIDS Secretariat convened an international expert consultation to determine whether male circumcision should be recommended for the prevention of HIV infection.

Related links


:: More information on male circumcision in HIV prevention

:: Male circumcision in HIV prevention (UNAIDS)



Based on the evidence presented, which was considered to be compelling, experts attending the consultation recommended that male circumcision now be recognized as an additional important intervention to reduce the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men. The international consultation, which was held 6-8 March 2007 in Montreux, Switzerland, was attended by participants representing a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society, researchers, human rights and women's health advocates, young people, funding agencies and implementing partners.

"The recommendations represent a significant step forward in HIV prevention," said Dr Kevin De Cock, Director, HIV/AIDS Department in WHO. "Countries with high rates of heterosexual HIV infection and low rates of male circumcision now have an additional intervention which can reduce the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men. Scaling up male circumcision in such countries will result in immediate benefit to individuals. However, it will be a number of years before we can expect to see an impact on the epidemic from such investment."

There is now strong evidence from three randomized controlled trials undertaken in Kisumu, Kenya; Rakai District, Uganda (funded by the US National Institutes of Health); and Orange Farm, South Africa (funded by the French National Agency for Research on AIDS) that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. This evidence supports the findings of numerous observational studies that have also suggested that the geographical correlation long described between lower HIV prevalence and high rates of male circumcision in some countries in Africa, and more recently elsewhere, is, at least in part, a causal association. Currently, 665 million men, or 30 % of men worldwide, are estimated to be circumcised.

Male circumcision should be part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package
Male circumcision should always be considered as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package, which includes

the provision of HIV testing and counselling services;
treatment for sexually transmitted infections;
the promotion of safer sex practices; and
the provision of male and female condoms and promotion of their correct and consistent use.
Counselling of men and their sexual partners is necessary to prevent them from developing a false sense of security and engaging in high-risk behaviours that could undermine the partial protection provided by male circumcision. Furthermore, male circumcision service provision was seen as a major opportunity to address the frequently neglected sexual health needs of men.

"Being able to recommend an additional HIV prevention method is a significant step towards getting ahead of this epidemic," said Catherine Hankins, Associate Director, Department of Policy, Evidence and Partnerships at UNAIDS. "However, we must be clear: Male circumcision does not provide complete protection against HIV. Men and women who consider male circumcision as an HIV preventive method must continue to use other forms of protection such as male and female condoms, delaying sexual debut and reducing the number of sexual partners."

Need for quality and safe services
Health services in many developing countries are weak and there is a shortage of skilled health professionals. There is a need, therefore, to ensure that male circumcision services for HIV prevention do not unduly disrupt other health care programmes, including other HIV/AIDS interventions. In order to both maximize the opportunity afforded by male circumcision and ensure longer-term sustainability of services, male circumcision should, wherever possible, be integrated with other services.

The risks involved in male circumcision are generally low, but can be serious if circumcision is undertaken in unhygienic settings by poorly trained providers or with inadequate instruments. Wherever male circumcision services are offered, therefore, training and certification of providers, as well as careful monitoring and evaluation of programmes, will be necessary to ensure that these meet their objectives and that quality services are provided safely in sanitary settings, with adequate equipment and with appropriate counselling and other services.

Male circumcision has strong cultural connotations implying the need also to deliver services in a manner that is culturally sensitive and that minimizes any stigma that might be associated with circumcision status. Countries should ensure that male circumcision is undertaken with full adherence to medical ethics and human rights principles, including informed consent, confidentiality and absence of coercion.

Maximizing public health benefit
A significant public health impact is likely to occur most rapidly if male circumcision services are first provided where the incidence of heterosexually acquired HIV infection is high. It was therefore recommended that countries with high prevalence, generalized heterosexual HIV epidemics that currently have low rates of male circumcision consider urgently scaling up access to male circumcision services. A more rapid public health benefit will be achieved if age groups at highest risk of acquiring HIV are prioritized, although providing male circumcision services to younger age groups will also have public health impact over the longer term. Modelling studies suggest that male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa could prevent 5.7 million new cases of HIV infection and 3 million deaths over 20 years.

Experts at the meeting agreed that the cost-effectiveness of male circumcision is acceptable for an HIV prevention measure and that, in view of the large potential public health benefit of expanding male circumcision services, countries should also consider providing the services free of charge or at the lowest possible cost to the client, as for other essential services.

In countries where the HIV epidemic is concentrated in specific population groups such as sex workers, injecting drug users or men who have sex with men, there would be limited public health impact from promoting male circumcision in the general population. However, there may be an individual benefit for men at high risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection.

More research needed
Experts at the meeting identified a number of areas where additional research is required to inform the further development of male circumcision programmes. These included

the impact of male circumcision on sexual transmission from HIV-infected men to women;
the impact of male circumcision on the health of women for reasons other than HIV transmission (e.g. lessened rates of cancer of the cervix);
the risks and benefits of male circumcision for HIV-positive men;
the protective benefit of male circumcision in the case of insertive partners engaging in homosexual or heterosexual anal intercourse; and
research into the resources needed for, and most effective ways, to expand quality male circumcision services.
Research to determine whether there are modifications in perceptions and HIV risk behaviour over the longer term in men who are circumcised for HIV prevention, and in their communities, will also be essential.



More http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/malecircumcision/en/index.html

Akpu or kenke, both nasty.

Some Ghanaian Women have nice body,but their face is not cute.

i said kenke not Akpu.

Actually, I am not surprised. Some Ghanaian women are toughies because they have masculinity in them.kenke power.

lol.

More Ghanaian women beating thier husbands!


NEW. Watch live television from Ghana plus the latest Ghanaian movies.
The number of domestic violence cases reported by men against women in Accra is increasing, while those reported by women against men are on the decline.

According to statistics available at the Accra Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, between January and August 2007, 150 cases were reported by men, as against 116 cases for the whole of last year.

On the other hand, 2,380 cases were reported by women between January and August 2007, as against 3,484 cases reported by women within the same period last year.

According to the statistics, 49 assault cases were reported by men against women between January and August last year, as against a negligible figure in the previous years, while assault cases reported by women against men dropped from 1,902 between January and August 2006 to 1,420 within the same period this year.

On reported cases of threat against women, the statistics showed a decline from 482 between January and August 2006 to 152 within the same period this year, while rape cases also dropped from 142 in 2006 to 89 in 2007.

Reported cases of defilement decreased from 482 in 2006 to 255 in 2007, while cases of abduction reported also declined from 148 in 2006 to 76 this year.

Furthermore, reported cases against men who exposed their children to harm dropped from 86 within the same period last year to 63 this year, while cases of indecent assault against men dipped from 47 in 2006 to 32 in 2007.

With regard to reported cases on offensive conduct against men, the figure declined from 192 last year to 121 this year, while cases of incest also dropped from three to two.

The statistics indicated that more men were reporting domestic violence cases at DOVVSU. Between January and August this year, some of the cases reported by men against women were threat, 18; offensive conduct, 28; stealing, 14; exposing children to harm, 10; causing harm and damage, 15; failing to cater for children, five; attempted abortion, two; sexual harassment, three, and abduction, six.

According to officials of DOVVSU, although more men were beginning to report cases of domestic violence to the unit, they were nevertheless shy of appearing in court, as a result of stigmatisation.

Last Monday, a man was reported to have walked into the offices of DOVVSU in Accra with blood oozing from his nostrils and face to report a case of assault on him by his wife.

He was said to have told the police that his wife had been beating him for a long time but now he had decided to report the matter to the police so that she did not kill him.

According to the Public Relations Officer of Accra DOVVSU, Inspector Irene Oppong, in some instances, the men who reported the cases looked capable of beating their wives who assaulted them but they preferred reporting the matter to exacting revenge.

She attributed the growing confidence men had in DOVVSU to outreach and awareness creation programmes undertaken by the unit to sensitise the public to the fact that the unit did not exist only for women.

Inspector Oppong said men had now realised that everyone could be a victim of domestic violence and so they were no longer ashamed to report cases to the unit.

According to her, the cases of sexual harassment were normally about women who wanted to go back to their men after a broken relationship. She said against the wish of the men, "come-back" women resorted to calling the men on phone and visiting them in their offices.

Inspector Oppong said with regard to cases filed against women for lack of care, it was observed that although the men provided money for the upkeep of their chi1dren, their wives used the money for other purposes.

She said in other instances, some women packed out of their matrimonial homes and abandoned their babies.

Source:
Daily Graphic
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePag, php?ID=131079

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

lol.

Witchcrafts .

Two members of the Cross River State House of Assembly disgraced themselves publicly when they fought each other and tore their clothes in the process. The lawmakers are Honourable Uduak Akiba representing Calabar Municipality and Hon Pauline Ekuri of Etung State Constituency. P.M.News gathered this morning that the women engaged themselves in the show of shame at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport last weekend while they were returning from Abuja.

The duo, who are among the three women in the State House of Assembly, were part of the delegation of Mrs. Obioma Imoke, wife to Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, who visited Hajia Turai Yar’Adua in Abuja where she went to present her poverty alleviation plan to the First Lady.

The duo do not see eyeball to eyeball since 2003 when they were in the Women Affairs Commission, our source said. “The presence of one of them in the same flight stirred up anger which led to sharp exchanges while aboard the Virgin Nigeria flight to Calabar,” said our source.

Appeals by other members of the delegation and passengers to the ladies to stop the quarrel fell on deaf ears as they allegedly hurled invectives at each other.

According to our source who was part of the delegation and witnessed the shameful incident, “shortly after touch down at the Calabar Airport , Uduak Akiba decided to engage her colleague in a fight. The bulky woman punched and scratch the light complexion Ekuri who was her former boss and inflicted severe injuries on her.”

Efforts by Mrs. Ekama Awara, Commissioner for Women Affairs, to separate the women failed as they took advantage of the absence of Obioma Imoke who was not in the flight, to fight each other and eventually their clothes were torn.

The animosity between the two ladies has been simmering since 2003 when Pauline Ekuri, who holds a doctorate degree was brought in by Duke to head the Women Affairs Commission in his second tenure while Uduak was engaged her Special Assistant.

However, Uduak, who is said to be close to Mrs. Onari Duke, was allegedly feeding the Dukes with information on the activities of her boss, who was said to be consistently complaining that she was made to sign documents but the “money was not going into her pocket”.

This complaint irked Onari who removed Ekuri in 2005 and replaced her with her former aide, Uduak Akiba.

This development generated bad blood between the two ladies and has since lingered.

During Duke’s last days in office, he discovered that most of the reports on Ekuri were not true and he had to compensate her with the state assembly slot and Uduak Akiba, who had more or less become a liability on the Dukes was also picked fort the state Assembly through the Calabar Municipality and its former occupant, Hon. Eta Mbora forced out.

When P.M.News sought comments from Hon. Uduak Akiba why they engage in the show of shame, she shouted at the reporter to “Get out. I have a meeting now” and entered her new Honda Accord recently bought for Commissioners and Assembly members by Imoke and sped off.

It is not known what action the House of Assembly would take following the disgraceful conduct of their members.

The Speaker, Hon Frank Ada was said to be away when our reporter visited the Assembly.

http://www.thenewsng.com/modules/zma, rticleid=18981

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

hummmm.

Nigeria: NDLEA Arrests Seven Drug Peddlers At Lagos Airport




Leadership (Abuja)

20 September 2007
Posted to the web 20 September 2007

Abuja

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has nabbed seven drug peddlers with hard drugs within the last one week.

It was gathered that one of the suspects, Innocent Onwusi, who lives at No. 25 Ezinifite street Onitsha, Anambra State, swallowed 107 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.854 kg.


This is one of the highest quantities ingested in recent times. He was nabbed on September 12, 2007, when he wanted to board a KLM flight to Amsterdam.

Godwin Utubor, was arrested on September 13, 2007 for ingesting 83 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.387kg while attempting to board an Iberia flight to Spain.

Ojiako Anthony Uchechukwu it was learnt, was arrested on Seprember 10, 2007, during the screening of passengers on an Alitalia flight from Lagos to Milan with 1.375kg.

Relevant Links

West Africa
Crime and Corruption
Legal and Judicial Affairs
Nigeria



It was also gathered that Chika Christian Tomlo was arrested on September 5, 2007, with 1.3kg of cocaine in his stomach.

Meanwhile one Augustine Nyayere was nabbed while attempting to send 2kg of Indian hemp to Spain on September 2, 2007.

It was also gathered that the command also foiled an attempt by one Nzubechukwu Akagbaobi of No. 12 Olayeni street, computer village, Ikeja, Lagos, to export 25 grammes of Indian hemp, concealed inside handset chargers to China.

Illicit drugs: NDLEA secures 10 convictions
From Christopher Isiguzo in Abakaliki, 09.20.2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007

Ebonyi

At least 10 persons have been convicted in Ebonyi State for their involvement in the usage and trading of illicit drugs, especially indian hemp, between January and August this year.Speaking in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Abakaliki, yesterday, the state Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforce-ment Agency (NDLEA) Mr Dennis Obiefule said his command was also able to arrest 42 persons within the period under review, adding that while 12 persons are currently awaiting trial, 20 were counseled and sent home.


He said but for logistics constraints, his command would have recorded more successes, adding however, that they were able to confiscate not less than 104.9 kilogrammes of Indian sativa, also known as marijuana.

He said the latest arrest by the Command was that of a 25-year- old Emmanuel Ofem from Cross River State, who was arrested at Nkalagu junction, allegedly with 47.2 Kilogramme of Indian hemp, made in 30 compressed parcels.

He expressed dismay over what he described as shortage of vehicles and other equipment, adding that he will not rest on his oars, until the problem is effectively tackled.

“So far, I will say we are not doing badly. Using one vehicle to patrol the whole state is not easy. We usually have problem apprehending dealers at any joint we raid, because, before we could disembark from the 504, the dealers have escaped, leaving us with only users. We need a van.“Another problem is that when the only vehicle goes out, other activities grind to a halt,” he stated, and appealed to Governor Martin Elechi and other well-meaning individuals to come to the Command's aid, by assiting in the procuring of more vehicles.

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

lol.

+osisi the Agaracha she -goat would end up in her father shrine in Abia state or all the shrine in igboland.

The Human sacrifice ritual at the okija shrine

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

during the civil war, or maybe their folks didnt tell you that they had to eat each other to stay alive.

Abia state .lol