A senior official from the Ministry of Health (MoH) urged young people yesterday to undergo clinical tests before they get married to ensure that they are free of common diseases.
Director-General of Hereditary and Chronic Diseases Control Mohammed Yahya Sa'eedi pointed out that currently only 60 percent of couples who get married get themselves checked up. An average of 280,000 men and women go through these tests annually in the Kingdom.
The official said the diseases covered by the clinical tests under the Healthy Marriage Program create social and health problems in society.
These clinics would also provide marriage advice, he added.
Diseases, if not detected before marriage, can cause a great deal of suffering to families, especially blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, viral hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
The Healthy Marriage Program is important for society, the official said, adding it is necessary to promote the role played by authorities such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture and Information, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
The government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has been paying special attention to the health and the well-being of the people who get married.
The premarital tests, if they detect problems, do not necessarily prevent the marriage, he added.
“It will help identify the diseases, if any, in the prospective couple and help them get married after they are treated.”
There are around 150 clinics throughout the Kingdom to help prospective couples undergo the medical tests. These clinics include 20 private sector clinics affiliated to the Ministry of Health.
Sa'eedi pointed out the program has already taken momentous steps toward raising people's awareness of the importance of medical check-ups, especially among prospective couples.
He said only around 9 percent of prospective couples took advantage of the MoH medical counseling program when it was first launched seven years ago.
“To date, this rate has reached 60 percent, and we're looking forward to attaining 100 percent during the coming years.”
Youths urged to have premarital health checks
