Why Katsina is reviewing all health related laws

Katsina State House of Assembly will soon review all health related laws in the state inorder to make them more effective, realistic and affordable, the Deputy Speaker Shehu Tafoki has said.

The laws include, HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination Prohibition law, Primary Healthcare Agency Law, Hospital Fees Law, Essential Drugs and Medical Supplies law and Mosquito Destruction Amendment Law.

According to him, the law became necessary in view of the state's position as one with the highest prevalence of sickle cell diseases in the country. He added that the assembly was also working on a bill to make comprehensive blood screening compulsory before marriage to prevent couples from getting infected with deadly diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.

Speaking during a free genotype screening exercise organised by the State Ministry of Health at Government Girls Secondary School Daudawa, Katsina State, Tafoki said already the house has passed a law that compelled prospective couples to go for genotype test before marriage, to prevent sickle cell children.

The State Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Mariyatu Bala Usman explained that eighty percent of sickle cell patients in the state were between the ages of zero and ten, due to the high records of mortality from the disease before marriage.