UNFPA to hold seminar on closely-related marriages

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is expected to organize a media seminar “Closely-related marriages and its impact to reproductive health situation in Azerbaijan” Friday.

According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Public Health, closely related marriages make up 20-25 percent of the total number of marriages registered in urban areas, while they constitute 65-70 percent in rural areas.

According to protocols of the World Health Organization, the percentage of closely related marriages to the total number of marriages should not exceed 5-7 percent.

The seminar aims to draw attention of the media and through them the attention of the public to the genetic diseases resulting from closely-related marriages and highlight the ways to prevent these abnormalities, including strengthening the prenatal diagnostics, treatment and building up the epidemiological criteria of genetic diseases.

The seminar represents UNFPA’s contribution to the national efforts to reflect on the key issues of the genetic diseases as a result of closely related marriages. It will promote a dialogue and expand awareness on consequences of closely related marriages among the population of Azerbaijan.*