The Traditional Sakkiya Practice: A Public Health Issue in Northern Nigeria

Sakkiya is a Hausa word, which has its origin from the Hausa culture, and it means the act of using hot pointed metallic tip to puncture bodily swelling with the aim of achieving a curative effect. The Hausa culture is one of the three most popular cultures in Nigeria. The Hausas are predominantly located in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria, predominantly working as farmers. The majority of the Hausa people practice the Islamic religion. Encounters from the medical setting with cases of complications arising from failure of Sakkiya treatment, where some patients did not survive this treatment made investigation into this form of alternative medicine a paramount issue. In order to fill the void of information and literature on Sakkiya treatment, the authors embarked on a literature search and field studies resulting in this book. The authors found a lack of historical evidence concerning the old traditional Sakkiya practice, and therefore urge archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists and historians to investigate into the historical evolution of Sakkiya practice in northern Nigeria.Kehinde Kanmodi, BDS, ACIPM, AISQEM is a dental surgeon, lecturer, multidisciplinary researcher, and manager affiliated with Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc, Ibadan (head office), Community Health Officers Training Programme, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, National Teachers Institute, Department of Political Science of the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigerian Institute of Management, Abuja, Chartered Institute of Project Management, Lagos, and Dental Clinic, Kebbi Medical Centre, Kalgo, Nigeria.Joav Merrick, MD, MMedSci, DMSc, born and educated in Denmark is professor of pediatrics, child health and human development affiliated with the Division of Pediatrics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Mt Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Israel, Kentucky Childrens Hospital, University of Kentucky, Lexington, United States and professor of public health at the Center for Healthy Development, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States, the former medical director of the Division for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, Jerusalem and the founder and director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Israel.