Male circumcision in Africa

A latest news event from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6502855.stm

"The World Health Organization and UNAIDS said circumcision should be added to current interventions to reduce the spread of HIV...WHO and UNAIDS said access to the procedure should be urgently scaled up in areas with high rates of heterosexual infection and low rates of male circumcision."

There are a few issues I have with this:

First, just as there are social/cultural qualms about using condoms, I imagine there would be similar, if not stronger cultural issues with the recommendation of circumcision to certain African populations. Although this seems like a reasonable preventive strategy, I wonder if anyone consulted with community stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of implementing this plan. I can imagine nurses and other skilled health workers in birthing centers trying to coerce mothers to circumcise their baby boys.

Second, does this recommendation from the WHO come with a plan action? Will they involve the community?

Abbot Pharmaceuticals to Remove HIV Rx from Thailand

Check out this quick video from BBC News...type in "Thai protests over HIV drugs access" into the search and click on the video that comes up on the right hand side of the page.

I must say...sometimes I wonder whether intellectual property rights involving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) are valid in developing worlds where they are fighting HIV. Basically, Abbott Laboratories are pulling a highly successful HAART Rx from the Thai market because the Thai government allegedly violated a patent law in manufacturing one of Abbott's earlier versions of the Rx. I don't know anything about IP rights, but I really don't know how this is legal? People's lives are at stake, and the US Pharm Giant is putting pressure on a small developing country to pay high HAART prices. Does anyone know about any subsidies that Big Pharm offers to the developing world? Perhaps Bill and Melinda need to open a pharm co?