In a press statement on Tuesday, the Spokesman for the Ministry of Health and population Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said that the initiative reflects the government's keenness to combat the spread of diseases in the country and guarantee a healthy life for the Egyptian family.

The initiative targets Egyptians and non-Egyptians residing in the country.

The administered tests aim to identify a wide range of conditions such as genetic disorders, chronic illnesses, as well as blood-transmitted and other infectious diseases, Abdel-Ghaffar said.

The certificate -- which is valid for 6 months after the date of the screening -- will cost each of the applicants EGP 220 in total with the government bearing the remaining cost as the actual price for the certificate ranges from EGP 450-500.

In December, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke about the new pre-marriage medical procedures, saying marriages will have to be approved by a committee chaired by a judge after reviewing the automated examination results sent by the Ministry of Health.

El-Sisi said the new medical procedures aim to reassure the couples and their parents before marriage.

“It is the duty of the state to reassure parents about the future of their sons and daughters, and to ensure that those who wish to marry accept what the examinations reveal,” the president said while inaugurating two factories for medical and industrial gases in Giza's Abu Rawash district.

Medical examinations ahead of marriage has been compulsory in Egypt since 2008. However, the new certificate adds new obligatory tests for the couple, Spokesman of the Ministry of Health Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar told media on Saturday.

Applicants can call the hotline 15335 or visit the 100 Million Healthy Lives initiative's wesbsite to learn about the nearest health centre where they can undergo the pre-marriage tests, Abdel-Ghaffar added.