JEDDAH, 26 July 2005 — The Ministry of Health has decided to conduct premarital heredity tests on high school students, both boys and girls. The tests will begin in the Ahsa region where the percentage of hereditary diseases is estimated at up to 35 percent.
Dr. Nasser Al-Hamdan, the general director of non-contagious diseases at the Ministry of Health, said that it has been decided officially that the hereditary diseases test should be conducted for young people. He announced that such tests would begin during the high school stages beginning with the new school year. They will be carried out in collaboration with the ministries of health and education in the region.
The percentages of hereditary diseases in the region range between 27-35 among its residents.
The region is considered to have among the highest percentage of hereditary diseases in the world. This is due to factors connected to widespread social traditions.
Intra-family marriages are one of the most prominent elements that contribute to the high hereditary diseases. Al-Hamdan confirmed that the results of the tests conducted on high school students would be given to them so that a better decision would be made in selecting a marriage partner.
