No Mosquito Net, No Wedding - New Sokoto Law Says

An upcoming law in Sokoto state will mandate potential suitors to add insecticide-treated mosquito nets to the brideprice they pay before getting married.

The couple will also have to undergo testing for sickle cell gene and enrol for a state community contributory health scheme to reduce the cost of medical treatment, according to the law.

Sokoto health commissioner Balarabe Kakale said the law makes it compulsory for couples to undergo testing for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. The state health ministry is to sponsor a private bill before Sokoto legislature.

But that will not come until a seminar agrees on the position of the law, Islam, and culture on premarital testing. Kakale said the measures were meant to reduce the menace of the diseases in Sokoto.