UN Declares Nov. 24 ‘World Conjoined Twins Day’ upon Saudi Arabia’s Initiative
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided on Monday to proclaim November 24 as World Conjoined Twins Day, for the world to mark it each year beginning in 2024.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), this decision was the product of an initiative presented by Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the initiative’s core group composed of Bahrain, Morocco, Qatar, and Yemen.
Resolution on Conjoined Twins
In his address to the UNGA, while presenting the draft resolution, the Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, made clear that the initiative aims to raise awareness about conjoined twins and celebrate achievements in conjoined-twin separation surgeries.
Al-Wasil said that the resolution aims to raise awareness about conjoined twins during various stages of their lives. He pointed out that the international community committed, through sustainable development goals (SDGs), to ensuring health and wellbeing for all individuals, without leaving anyone behind.
This puts an emphasis on promoting international and regional cooperation to guarantee that conjoined twins get access to the best healthcare services, wellbeing as well as promoting their human rights.
Furthermore, Al-Wasil emphasized that human health is a priority for Saudi Arabia’s leadership, displaying the Kingdom’s leading role in the field of conjoined-twins separation.
The Saudi Permanent Representative at the UN also thanked the representatives of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for their support throughout the drafting and negotiation phases of this resolution.
Saudi Track Record
Saudi Arabia has established its status as a pioneer in the conjoined-twin separation surgeries. The Kingdom has received many cases from around the world who successfully underwent separation surgeries.
On Tuesday, Burkinabe conjoined twins arrived with their mother in Riyadh for a possible separation surgery at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital. The Saudi defense ministry’s medevac airlifted the twins from Burkina Faso, at the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
More recently, a Saudi medical and surgical team successfully separated Filipino conjoined twins in June at the King Abdullah Specialist Children Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City.
In February, the Saudi medical and surgical team separated Nigerian conjoined twins at the King Abdullah Specialist Children Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
Moreover, the Kingdom received the families of several conjoined twins who underwent separation operations in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj among the guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ program for Hajj, Umrah and visit during Hajj season 2024.
