Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has said it is mandatory for intending couples in the state to undergo sickle cell screening to check the spread of the ailment.

Mr Radda said this on Monday in a speech at the inauguration of a Sickle Cell Centre and launch of the monthly distribution of free drugs to sickle cell patients at the General Hospital, Katsina.

The drugs distributed by the state government included sickle cell anemia and malaria drugs.

The programme was organised through the governor’s wife’s pet project, Safe Space Humanitarian Initiative in collaboration with the state ministry of health.

According to the governor, the state government provided a legislation that prohibits marriage without the couple undergoing a series of tests, including the sickle cell screening.

He said that the law was intended to ensure that marriage between persons with the same AS genotype was prevented in the interest of all.

Mr Radda further said that if such marriage was allowed to take place, both the couples, their children, parents, government and the public would be at the receiving end.

He, therefore, urged parents to ensure that their children were subjected to screening before marriage to ensure that they were not all of the AS genotype to reduce the rising number of sickle cell patients.

“If couples undergo sickle cell screening, the danger of having children with such sickness can be prevented. In most cases, when carriers are married, at the end, the children will always be suffering from one sickness or the other, making life difficult for them.

“And in such situations, the government, parents and other family members will also be testing the pains those children are undergoing in one way or the other. Therefore, it should be avoided, and Almighty Allah will continue to protect us,” the governor said.

While appealing to the beneficiaries to make effective use of the drugs, he commended his wife, Fatima, for such an initiative, saying that it would go a long way to reducing the hardship faced by the patients.

(NAN)