Male circumcision could possibly avert 5.7 million new HIV infections in Africa over the next few years, the global heath authorities predicted. Many studies have proved that cutting of the foreskin from the penis lowers a man's risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by almost 60 percent.

The foreskin has a rich reservoir of white blood cells, which are the main target of the AIDS-causing virus. Removing this area is considered to be very helpful in preventing HIV from crossing over into the body.

AIDS is Acquired Immuno Deficeincy Syndrome, caused by a virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV was identified in 1984 by the Institut Pasteur of France. However it was only in n 1985 that Dr. Robert Gallo linked HIV to AIDS.

Those at highest risk for contracting it include homosexual or bisexual men engaging in unprotected sex, intravenous drug users who share needles, the sexual partners of those who participate in high-risk activities, infants born to mothers with HIV.

HIV is optimally controlled by prevention. Using condoms, avoiding multiple sex partners and used needles by drug addicts and regular checking of stored blood in hospitals are some of the steps that can prevent HIV.

In recent times circumcision is recognized as a way to prevent new HIV infections in men. Circumcision advocates have urged the WHO to recommend the procedure mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, where AIDS has assumed epidemic proportions.

"The evidence is really now quite conclusive that male circumcision is effective at preventing HIV among men," said Kevin De Cock, the leading HIV-AIDS official for the World Health Organization.

In southern and eastern Africa where AIDS is rampant the circumcision rates are typically low. It is here that the value of this procedure in preventing HIV infections is pivotal.

“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,” De Cock said, adding that it may be some years before the impact of the circumcision campaigns could be reflected in reduced HIV infections.

The decision to endorse circumcision as a way to prevent HIV follows the results of three trials in Kisumu, Kenya, Rakai District, Uganda and Orange Farm, South Africa, which showed the procedure had the potential to reduce the risk of heterosexually-acquired HIV infection in men by almost 60 percent.

Experts welcomed the proactive step taken by the WHO and said it would go a long way in preventing new HIV infections especially in Africa. Robert C. Bailey, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago called it a cost-effective intervention. Dr Bailey was the principal investigator in one of the three trials to advocate circumcision to prevent AIDS.

Official figures show that 665 million men, or 30 % of men are currently circumcised worldwide. The WHO said male circumcision should be considered a part of a comprehensive package to prevent HIV.

The agency said this HIV prevention package must include
* The provision of HIV testing and counseling 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.

Figures for 2006 from the UNAIDS and WHO show that 39.5 million people are living with HIV. Last year 4.3 million new HIV infections were reported with 2.8 million of these occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.