MUSCAT, MAY 6
As part of the Sultanate of Oman's commitment to promoting community health, improving the quality of life for citizens and preventing genetic diseases, the Ministry of Health, through its various channels, is urging the public to conduct premarital medical examinations to protect future generations. This involves conducting laboratory blood tests for prospective spouses to reduce the risk of blood diseases, with the goal of building a healthy family.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has organised a national awareness campaign for premarital medical examinations. This campaign will continue for a full year through 2025, in preparation for the mandatory implementation of examinations in 2026. It is worth noting that premarital medical examinations began in the Sultanate of Oman in 1999 and are available as an optional service in all government primary healthcare institutions.
The ministry has adopted the programme as an effective preventative measure to limit the spread of genetic blood diseases and reduce the incidence of maternal and child mortality resulting from these diseases. Reducing these diseases also relieves pressure on healthcare institutions and blood banks and helps reduce the financial burden of treating patients on families and society.
The ministry stated that premarital medical examinations are not limited to those with relatives affected by the disease, but rather apply to anyone considering marriage, whether they are relatives or not. This is because the absence of a hereditary disease in the family does not mean the family is free of disease genes, as these diseases are transmitted through genetic material (genes).
Statistic showed that hereditary blood diseases are widespread in Oman, with the percentage of sickle cell anaemia carriers reaching approximately 6 per cent, and thalassaemia carriers reaching 2 per cent of the total population under five years of age. These rates can only be reduced by conducting a premarital medical examination and seeking appropriate counselling.
A study on Omani youth's acceptance of premarital screening revealed that 85-94 per cent of them believed in the importance and necessity of medical examination, and the majority confirmed that they would undergo it. 50-91 per cent of them expressed the importance of it, while 10-62 per cent stated that they would change their marriage decision based on the results of the medical examination.
The results showed that 23 per cent of those who underwent premarital medical examinations cancelled their engagement or marriage after the examination. 19% were undecided, unsure what to do and were confused. 9.5 per cent preferred to continue for emotional reasons and 4.4 per cent for family reasons.
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