The House of Representatives has proposed a bill requiring mandatory genotype screening for couples before they can receive marriage certificates.
This legislation is intended to curb the incidence of sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder that presents serious health challenges and imposes considerable demands on families and the healthcare system.
The bill, which was sponsored by House spokesman, Akin Rotimi (Ekiti, APC), scaled a first reading on Wednesday.
The bill aims to ensure that partners are aware of their genotypes before marriage to tackle the prevalence of genetic disorders.
The bill specifies that genotype screenings must be conducted in health facilities approved by the Federal Ministry of Health or any designated health authority.
Clause 3 (1 & 2) of the bill states that no registry shall issue a “marriage certificate unless both parties have undergone genotype screening”.
“The results of the genotype screening shall be submitted to the marriage registry before the issuance of the marriage certificate.”
The bill also stipulates penalties in clause 7(1), saying, “Any person or entity that issues a marriage certificate without complying with the provisions of this Act commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both.”
It also states that: “Any health facility that provides false genotype results or engages in fraudulent practices related to genotype screening commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.”
