Traditional Leader seeks law mandating Pre-Marital Test in Sokoto

The District Head of Gagi and family planning advocate, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi, has called on Sokoto State House of Assembly to establish law that will mandate potential couple to present HIV, Sickle cell and Genotype tests before marriage.

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Sani Umar made the call at a one day media roundtable organised by Devcom/TCI in Sokoto State.

He noted that this can only be achieve when stakeholders and civil society organization lead the advocacy to members of legislatures in the state.

” stakeholders and members of communities are the pillars that will help civil society organizations to ensure establishing the law that will mandate provision of test by any intending couple before the marriage.

” Evidence-based advocacy is the engine that drives progress on family planning and make the partnership’s goals possible, therefore in this move civil societies has a central role to play in actualising the process.

” We will continue to push as advocates of family planning to ensure enacting the law by the state assembly to reduce spreads of diseases among our societies,” he added.

The District Head called for collective efforts and partnership of religious and traditional leaders to advance advocacy by facilitating a stronger and more coordinated approach for effective services delivery.

In her remarks, the Executive Secretary Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (SSPHCDA) Dr Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, commended Devcom/TCI for organising the interactive session.

Dr Tambuwal said the roundtable would go a long way in advancing more awareness on the benefits of family planning among various communities in the state.

Represented by a Director in the Agency, Dr Tukur Garba Magaji, said that media is key in disseminating relevant information on family planning activities.

The Executive Secretary noted that the state government has invested huge in health care particularly in the area of family planning that it acceptance always at the increased.

Also speaking, the state Media Coordinator Devcom/TCI, Alhaji Musa Ubandawaki, said the major objectives of the meeting was to present and discuss on the organization’s media engagement in support of state family planning programme.

He further said it was to present preliminary results of 2023/2024 national demographic and health survey findings.

Ubandawaki also said the meeting was to support state government to achieve a greater self reliance to scale up family planning and AYSRH-impact interventions leading to sustained improvement in urban health system and increased use of modern strategies.

The State Manager Devcom/TCI, Dr Bello Muhammad Kilgori, made an extensive presentation on preliminary 2023/2024 national demographic and health survey findings, successes, challenges and the way forward.