Muscat – Mandatory premarital medical screening has come into force in Oman starting January 1, 2026 under Royal Decree No 111/2025, marking a major step in strengthening the sultanate’s preventive healthcare system and safeguarding family health.
The decision requires all Omanis intending to marry to undergo medical examinations to detect hereditary, genetic and infectious diseases, with the aim of protecting couples, safeguarding family health and reducing disease transmission to future generations.
Health authorities say the measure responds to growing health, social and economic challenges linked to hereditary and communicable diseases, which place a significant burden on families and the national healthcare system. Specialists stress that early detection through screening helps reduce long-term treatment costs and improves public health outcomes.
H E Dr Saeed bin Hareb al Lamki, Undersecretary for Health Affairs in the Ministry of Health, said the decree aims to enhance public health indicators and establish a clear regulatory framework for premarital screening services to ensure quality and consistency.
He said hereditary blood disorders represent a major burden on individuals, families and healthcare services. The screening programme covers hereditary blood diseases as well as infectious conditions such as viral hepatitis, syphilis and HIV/AIDS.
H E Lamki clarified that while screening is mandatory, the decree does not prohibit marriage if one party tests positive for a hereditary condition. Instead, it seeks to raise awareness and enable couples to understand their health status and make informed decisions. He added that approved treatment protocols have been available in Oman for more than three decades, with the Ministry of Health providing counselling, follow-up and medical guidance for detected cases.
Dr Intisar bint Nasser al Shukri, consultant virologist at the Central Public Health Laboratory, said sickle cell disease is the most common and serious hereditary blood disorder in the country, alongside thalassaemia, particularly beta thalassaemia, which requires regular blood transfusions.
She explained that most hereditary blood disorders are inherited through recessive genes, meaning the disease appears only if both parents carry the defective gene. Screening helps identify carriers who show no symptoms, she said, noting that if both partners are carriers, there is a 25% risk in each pregnancy of having a child affected by the disease.
Early detection significantly reduces the physical, psychological and financial burden on families, she added, while easing pressure on the healthcare system, where treatment costs for hereditary blood diseases are estimated at around RO55mn annually.
Dr Intisar also highlighted the importance of genetic counselling in correcting misconceptions, reducing social stigma and helping couples make informed decisions based on medical evidence.
Meanwhile, Dr Raya bint Saeed al Kammiyani, Head of Preconception Care at the National Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health, said premarital screening plays a vital role in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases between spouses and from mother to child through early diagnosis and timely medical intervention.
She noted that uptake of premarital screening reached 42% in 2024, a figure she described as insufficient given that hereditary blood disorders affect 9.5% of the population, according to national statistics. Making screening mandatory, she said, will help bridge this gap, reduce disease incidence among newborns and support national efforts to improve maternal and child health.
