Saudi Arabia: 165,000 engagements end due to ‘genetic incompatibilities’

By Hussain Hazzazi and Ayman Al-Saidalani
Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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JEDDAH — Around 165,000 engagements were broken off in the past year after health checkups revealed genetic incompatibilities, according to medical officials.

The Ministry of Health’s Director for Hereditary and Chronic Diseases Dr. Mohammad Al-Saidi said the healthy marriage program usually has an average of 270,000 to 300,000 participants on a yearly basis since 2004.

He said: “It is a program that runs health checkups on couples who are about to get married. The program aims to reduce the risk of having children with any blood or gastronomical diseases.

“We aim to be an international model for a healthy marriage program and we aim to decrease the rate of hereditary diseases.

“In fact, health checkups are mandatory for engaged couples before they get married.”

He added 60 percent of the participants end up breaking off their engagement because of genetic health incompatibilities as they would have a high potential of bearing children with hereditary diseases.

“The high percentage of failed engagements due to medical risks shows that the society has become more educated and aware of the importance of physical health. The program focuses on five serious hereditary disease including AIDS, sickle cell disease, thalassemia (a type of blood disorder), Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.”

He also said the ministry dedicated 130 medical checkup centers, 91 medical laboratories, 80 health consultancy clinics and 1,120 qualified and trained medical staff to operate the program.

“This will also save money for the family and the country.

“It will lessen the pressure on medical and health institutes and will hopefully produce a society free of hereditary diseases.”

Madinah Health Affairs Assistant General Director Dr. Khalid Al-Harbe said 138 patients with hereditary blood diseases and 59 patients with gastronomical diseases were detected since the beginning of the year.

“The Madinah Pre-Marital Health Center had 5,167 visitors and 2,450 compatibility results.

“We have recently equipped the center with the latest technology in detecting hereditary diseases.”

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