Mass wedding: Kano commences pre-marital screening of 1800 prospective couples.
By Khadija Aliyu
Kano State government has commenced, pre-marital screening of 1800 prospective couples, to ascertain their health condition, as part of the prerequisites for the mass wedding.
The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf made the disc kudure, while inspecting the exercise at the premises of hisbah headquarters, sharada Kano.
According to him, the screening exercise, was aimed at curtailing the spread of infectious diseases between couples.
Dr Abubakar Labaran explained that, each person undergo 8 different tests, ranging from genotype, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis A, B and C, syphilis, among others.
” When in the course of the work, they find any of the diseases, those that can be treated, can be treated right away and those that need referral can be sent to a facility for further care or action”
The Commissioner maintained that, kano State government would promulgate a law, that would enforce pre-marital screening, before wedlock.
He described the action of some Imams, who insist on presentation of premarital screenning certificate, before wedlock, as a great milestone.
The Director General Kano State Agency for the control of Aids (KSACA), Dr. Usman Bashir pointed out that, the screening would be held in clusters within 2 weeks, and will cover 30 to 50 set of couples, from each of the 44 local government areas.
He commended governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for approving the mass wedding and on going health screening.
The Director General KSACA however stressed that, the pre martial screenning would go a long way, in assisting the state to achieve the target of mitigating HIV/AIDS, set by the United Nations.
