As many as 1,653 young men and women have undergone necessary medical checkups so far under a new health initiative that conduct medical examinations for those who are about to get married, to help reduce the risk of having unhealthy children, the health ministry said.

Launched on Sunday, the initiative is a part of the ministry’s efforts to free of communicable diseases transmitted between spouses, reduce death rates resulting from non-communicable diseases, and curb genetic diseases in future generations.

Meanwhile, Spokesman for the Health and Population Ministry Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the initiative targets Egyptians inside the country and abroad.

The initiative’s clinics and healthcare centers in Sharqiya, Cairo, Giza, Behiera, Sohag, Gharbia, and Menoufia saw the highest turnout during the first day of the initiative, the spokesman noted.

In addition to AIDS, virus C, and virus B tests, the initiative also covered tests of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, hemoglobin level in the blood, blood type, and the Mediterranean anemia (thalassemia).

The initiative services are available at up to 302 medical units nationwide.

Source: State Information Service Egypt