Rise in Cousin Marriages in Pakistan Linked to Increasing Genetic Disorders
Experts have raised alarms over the rising incidence of genetic disorders in Pakistan, where over 65 percent of marriages occur between cousins, with some communities witnessing rates as high as 85 percent. This trend, experts say, is directly contributing to a sharp increase in genetic mutations and hereditary diseases across the country.
During the Swiss-Pakistan Workshop on “Genomic and Recessive Disorders” at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), specialists from Pakistan and Switzerland discussed the growing concern. Pakistan, they noted, ranks among the countries with the highest rates of consanguineous (cousin) marriages, which, while offering certain biological benefits, significantly heighten the risks of genetic disorders.
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Speaking at the event, held at the Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan Auditorium of Dow International Medical College, Vice Chancellor of DUHS, Prof. Muhammad Saeed Quraishy, explained that cultural, social, and economic factors drive this trend. However, he cautioned that the practice increases the likelihood of recessive and dominant genetic disorders in offspring.
Prof. Quraishy highlighted the prevalence of hereditary conditions such as thalassemia, microcephaly, and other genetic diseases in families with a history of cousin marriages. He stressed the need for urgent genetic research and healthcare interventions to address this growing issue.
Guest of honour, Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman, emphasized the importance of advancing scientific research to combat genetic diseases. Despite the economic challenges, he noted that Pakistan is making significant strides in biological and genetic research.
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Dr. Stylianos Antonarakis from the University of Geneva shared that while nearly 3,000 genes linked to recessive diseases have been identified, around 8,000 to 9,000 remain unrecognized. He explained that while genomic variability plays a role in evolution, it also burdens populations with high rates of cousin marriages, increasing the incidence of genetic disorders.
Dr. Ambreen Fatima of Aga Khan University highlighted Pakistan’s high prevalence of genetic disorders, pointing out the country’s 6% carrier frequency of thalassemia and one of the world’s highest rates of microcephaly. She also criticized the country’s healthcare system for focusing primarily on infectious diseases and malnutrition, leaving genetic disorders inadequately addressed.
