Kano State Government on Thursday unveiled the standardised premarital HIV/AIDS screening certificate to further stem spread of the scourge.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that wife of the state governor, Dr Hafsat Abdullahi Ganduje, unveiled the certificate at the Government House, Kano.
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Ganduje said that all new couples would be required to obtain the valid certificate, and advised the couples to go for HIV screening before marriage.
In his remarks, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, the state Commissioner for Health, said the state government had adopted proactive measures to curtail HIV/AIDS transmission in the state.
According to him, about 35,000 people living with HIV/AIDS are currently receiving treatment in the state, adding that efforts had been intensified to encourage voluntary premarital screening.
Also speaking, Dr Sabiu Shanono, Executive Director, Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), said the state had recorded successes in the campaign against mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
He said that the state had scaled up counselling and premarital screening, saying that the state government had accorded premium to the health sector.
Also, Mr Musa Ali-Kachako, (APC – Takai State Constityency), expressed the commitment of the legislature to enact a law on premarital HIV/AIDS screening in the state.
On her part, Mrs Kalthum Kassim, in a paper presented on Islamic Perspective of Premarital Health Screening, said the aim was to curtail the spread of diseases among the people.
Kassim, who is also the deputy commander of the Hisbah Board, said, “the Prophet of Islam had in the past, ordered his disciples to check on the health of women and theirs before marriage.”
She said that the Kano Hisbah Board had adopted the compulsory premarital screening for its mass wedding programmes.
She, therefore, admonished the people to go for voluntary premarital screening for the betterment of the society.
NAN also reports that Ganduje distributed ecnonomic strengthening equipment to 200 HIV positive living persons at the event.
The items included sewing and grinding machines, make up kits among others. (NAN)
