Kano mass wedding couples test positive for Hepatitis B, HIV, Hisbah Board reveals

The Kano Hisbah Board has revealed that some intending couples for the Kano mass wedding, scheduled to be held soon, have tested positive for Hepatitis B, HIV, sickle cell and pregnancy.

This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the spokesman of Hisbah Board, Lawan Fagge.

According to him, the persons were found with one health issue or the other at the point of pre-marital test screening they were subjected to as part of the conditions for taking part in the state-sponsored wedding.

Fagge, however, disclosed that the affected spouses have since been replaced in the ongoing exercise and subjected to counselling and medications.

Read also: Kogi mulls partnership with private sector to drive free education

“Based on the interim report we got from the Ministry of Health, about 40 males and females tested positive for Hepatitis B. There are those with sickle cell, those who are pregnant and those with HIV. But they will be counselled and placed on medication for the next few months. They have been rejected from the exercise and made replacements. They might be considered after their medication.

“We screened about 5,000 out of which we only needed 1,800 couples,” Fagge said.

Ripples Nigeria reports that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) led government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has earmarked the sum of N854 million to conduct mass weddings for the over 1,800 couples in the state.

The mass wedding was first introduced in the state by the Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso-led administration.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now