The Kano state government has commenced a pre-marital health screening exercise for more 147 couples who are planning to get married soon under the state government’s sponsored mass wedding initiative known as “AUREN GATA”.
The Director General of the State’s Agency for the Control of AIDS, SACA, Dr. Usman Bashir disclosed this during an inspection of the screening exercise in the state.
Bashir in a statement by the Agency’s Information Officer, Usman Datti explained that the main areas of focus in the exercise include HIV testing, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C screening, Sickle Cell Genotype testing, evaluation for general diseases, and pregnancy testing.
He said the screening is aimed at providing medical evaluations and consultations, if necessary, to prospective couples.
According to the statement, “The goal is to ensure their medical fitness and to prevent the spread of diseases that can be transmitted through marriage. This is achieved through laboratory tests to identify and address any potential health issues”.
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Dr. Usman Bashir further urged prospective couples to take the exercise seriously, as the state government has provided adequate facilities and medical personnel to ensure the smooth conduct of the screening process for couples intending to get married across the state under the initiative.
The Director General however noted that similar exercises have been conducted recently for different sets of couples under the leadership of Governor Abba Yusuf, and he expressed satisfaction with the ongoing screening exercise.
