UN Declares Nov. 24 as World Conjoined Twins Day at Saudi Arabia’s Initiative
The United Nations has designated November 24 as World Conjoined Twins Day following a proposal by Saudi Arabia, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. Starting this year, the day will be observed annually, an initiative put forth in collaboration with Bahrain, Morocco, Qatar, and Yemen.
The purpose of this day is to raise global awareness about conjoined twins and celebrate advancements in the field of surgery for their separation. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly where he presented the draft resolution for adoption.
Al-Wasil emphasized that the resolution aims to increase awareness about conjoined twins across all stages of their lives. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s leadership in conducting successful operations to separate conjoined twins, noting that the Kingdom’s Conjoined Twins Program has treated approximately 139 sets of conjoined twins from various countries since its inception in 1990. These operations are fully funded by the Saudi government.
In his address, Al-Wasil stressed the importance of international and regional cooperation to ensure the well-being of conjoined twins and to provide them with access to the highest quality healthcare, while also advocating for their human rights.
He expressed gratitude to UNICEF and the World Health Organization for their support during the drafting and negotiation of the resolution.
