By Shafi’u Yahaya
The Director-General of the Kano State AIDS Control Agency (KSACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, has disclosed that the agency screens an average of 300 couples daily as part of the pre-marital screening exercise for beneficiaries of the state government’s mass marriage programme for widows and divorcees.
Dr. Bashir made the disclosure while monitoring the screening exercise conducted for prospective couples nominated by the Kano State Hisbah Board ahead of the forthcoming mass wedding programme initiated by the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
According to him, the pre-marital screening exercise is being conducted in line with the Kano State Pre-Marital Screening Law enacted in 2024 to safeguard the health and wellbeing of intending couples before marriage.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the exercise, the KSACA Director-General explained that the screening is designed to assess the medical fitness of prospective couples and detect any underlying health conditions that may require medical attention or counselling.
He noted that the mass marriage initiative is one of the state government’s social intervention programmes aimed at supporting less privileged citizens, particularly widows and divorcees, to establish stable family lives.
Dr. Bashir commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the support being provided to the agency, which has enabled it to effectively carry out its responsibilities.
“The essence of this screening is to determine the health status of the intending couples and identify any medical conditions that could affect their future family life.
“This allows for proper counselling and necessary medical intervention before marriage,” he said.
The Director-General further revealed that the agency currently screens about 300 couples every day, expressing confidence that the exercise would be completed successfully.
He assured that KSACA remains committed to ensuring that all prospective couples undergo the mandatory screening process as directed by the state government.