Dala explains circumcision in PNG

Director of the National AIDS Council Secretariat Dr Nick Dala, pictured, says male circumcision is not being introduced to Papua New Guinea to promote Jewish culture or promiscuity.
Dala said responding to comments by a church group and stated the faith-based organisations are crucial partners in delivering the national STI/HIV response.
PNG Christian Leaders Alliance president, Cardinal Sir John Ribat said earlier that the churches would only use the “Word of God in the Holy Bible” to combat HIV/AIDS.
Sir John also said in the same statement that circumcision was “Jewish culture written in the Holy Bible and will not be effective in preventing HIV virus transmission”.
But Dala said male circumcision had been practised traditionally in some societies as cultural rituals for maturity of boys well before Christianity arrived on our shores.
“The position of the church on the condoms and circumcision is respected and we will not condemn it, as we are a Christian nation and our constitution is well founded on Biblical principles,” Dala said.
“All we (NACS) are doing is proving the options of STI/HIV prevention tools to the general public, who require them in the interest of good public health programmes in this country.
“Prevention is always better than cure more so, because AIDS has no cure”.
Dala said condom was still the number one priority prevention tool for STI & HIV in the world today.