
Saudi Surgeons Perform Complex Separation of Burkinabe Conjoined Twins
The operation is being carried out under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and PM, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It is led by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).
In a statement today, Dr. Al Rabeeah detailed that the surgery is expected to last eight hours and will be completed in five stages. A team of 26 experts, including consultants and specialists in anesthesia, pediatric surgery, and plastic surgery, is involved. Moreover, the procedure has an anticipated success rate exceeding 80%.
This marks the 62nd separation surgery performed under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has treated 146 conjoined twins from 27 countries over the past 35 years. The program's global contributions have been recognized by the United Nations, which designated November 24 as World Conjoined Twins Day.
Finally, Dr. Al Rabeeah extended his gratitude to Saudi leadership for its unwavering support and wished the twins a smooth recovery and a safe return to Burkina Faso.
Related Topics :
UN Declares Nov. 24 'World Conjoined Twins Day' upon Saudi Arabia's Initiative
Families of Conjoined Twins Separated in Saudi Arabia Arrive in Makkah to Perform Hajj
Medical Team Successfully Separates Conjoined Twins Hasna, Husna
Siamese Twins from Philippines Arrive in Riyadh for Separation Operation
Short link :
Post Views: 60
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi woman donates 80% of her liver to co-wife in rare act of generosity
Saudi Gazette report TAIF — In a remarkable display of sacrifice and compassion, a Saudi woman in Taif donated 80 percent of her liver to her husband's second wife, ending her long battle with kidney failure. Noura Salem Al-Shammari, the first wife of Majed Baldah Al-Roqi, stepped forward to help her co-wife, Taghreed Awadh Al-Saadi, after seeing her suffer from years of dialysis. The act has been hailed locally as an extraordinary gesture of selflessness. Al-Roqi told Okaz that his wife Taghreed had endured kidney failure for years and had traveled to the United States for a year in search of treatment, but without success. Upon her return to the Kingdom, Al-Roqi decided to donate one of his kidneys to ease her suffering. 'I entrusted Um Turki [Noura] with our five children in case anything happened to me during surgery,' he recalled. 'But I was surprised when she announced she would donate 80 percent of her liver to Taghreed, purely for the sake of God.' The transplant surgery was successful after medical tests confirmed tissue compatibility. 'She came like rain to revive barren desert,' Al-Roqi said of his first wife's life-saving gift.


Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
How Saudi Arabia is helping the developing world cook clean and breathe easy
RIYADH: In many parts of the world, the simple act of cooking dinner can be deadly. Across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, millions of families rely on open fires and traditional stoves that burn wood, charcoal, or kerosene — methods that fill homes with toxic smoke, worsen environmental degradation, and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. While such practices are rare in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is taking a leading role in tackling this silent crisis abroad. With nearly 4 million premature deaths each year linked to indoor air pollution from cooking, the stakes could not be higher. According to the World Bank, traditional cooking fuels contribute 2 percent of all global carbon dioxide emissions and a staggering 58 percent of black carbon emissions — pollutants known to accelerate climate change and damage human health. The problem is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where the International Energy Agency says 960 million people — nearly three-quarters of the population — lack access to clean cooking alternatives. Globally, more than 2 billion people still cook using polluting methods, exposing themselves and their families to harmful smoke on a daily basis. 'A third of people on the planet lack access to clean fuels, instead cooking on polluting open fires or simple stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste) and coal,' according to the World Economic Forum. 'Inhaling these toxic fumes kills more people than malaria — and women are disproportionately affected.' • In many developing countries, women and children spend around 10 hours each week gathering firewood for household cooking. • Efficient stoves can cut fuel consumption by up to 60 percent, significantly lowering indoor pollution and carbon emissions. • The Clean Cooking Alliance says cleaner cooking technology reduces the risk and severity of respiratory illness in young children. The health risks are severe. The World Health Organization estimates that household air pollution from cooking causes respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and cancer — all leading to early mortality. 'Millions of people are dying of heart disease, stroke, cancer, pneumonia, because they still rely on dirty fuels and cooking technologies,' Dr. Maria Neira, director of the environment, climate change and health department at the WHO, told Equal Times. 'Women and children are particularly at risk. They spend most of their time in and around the home.' Beyond the human cost, the environmental toll is immense. Firewood and charcoal harvesting drive deforestation, while incomplete combustion releases methane and other potent greenhouse gases. The IEA estimates that expanding access to clean cooking solutions could eliminate up to 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions in just five years — and 900 million tons of that could come from sub-Saharan Africa alone. 'Provision of clean cooking for all is recognized as a critical cross-sectoral development issue,' Dr. Yabei Zhang of the World Bank Clean Cooking Fund said in a report for the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program. 'The potential societal benefits are enormous, particularly for public health, women's productivity and empowerment, and the environment.' To help bridge this gap, Saudi Arabia has stepped up. At the 2021 Future Investment Initiative, held shortly after the launch of the Middle East Green Initiative, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman unveiled plans for a $2 billion fund to provide clean cooking fuel to over 750 million people worldwide. 'This stems from the idea of creating a fund where we aim to mitigate health issues of people who use biomass to cook food,' he said, according to Saudi financial news outlet Argaam. This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field) That vision has since taken shape through various international projects to promote cooperation on sustainable fuel solutions. One of these is the Empowering Africa initiative, a Saudi program, announced during the MENA Climate Week conference in Riyadh in 2023, focused on providing clean energy, connectivity, e-health, and e-education solutions to communities across Africa. Launched by Saudi Arabia's Oil Sustainability Program with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Health, the initiative builds on the Middle East Green Initiative's Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Program. It aims to improve lives and promote sustainable development in Africa by addressing energy access, digital inclusion, and healthcare challenges, and includes the provision of electric stoves to rural communities. The initiative reflects the Kingdom's commitment to tackling global environmental and social challenges, while fostering public engagement and strengthening international regulatory cooperation in the pursuit of a more sustainable future. While the road ahead is long, the message from Riyadh is clear: Clean cooking is not just a matter of convenience — it is a public health imperative, a climate solution, and a human right. And Saudi Arabia is determined to help light that fire.


Arab News
7 days ago
- Arab News
KSrelief expands humanitarian aid in Yemen, Sudan, and Pakistan
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continued its humanitarian efforts across some of the world's most vulnerable regions this week, launching new development and emergency response initiatives in Yemen, Sudan, and Pakistan. Fighting Cholera in Yemen KSrelief signed a cooperation agreement on Monday with a civil society partner to implement an urgent cholera response project in Yemen. The program aims to reach more than 1.15 million people, according to SPA. The agreement outlines the provision of essential medical tools, antibiotics, and intravenous solutions to reduce the number of cholera cases and prevent the disease's spread. Medical teams will also be deployed at air and land ports to screen travelers and curb cross-border transmission. Food Security Support in Sudan Meanwhile, in Khartoum State, Sudan, KSrelief annpounced the recent distribution of 700 food baskets to displaced families, benefiting 7,041 individuals, according to SPA. The aid forms part of the third phase of the 2025 Food Security Support Project, aimed at helping those uprooted by conflict and facing acute food shortages. Sudan remains in the grip of a deepening humanitarian crisis, as conflict, displacement, and inflation severely limit access to food and basic services. Emergency Shelter in Yemen's Hadhramaut KSrelief also announced the distribution of shelter materials in response to natural disasters in Yemen's Hadhramaut Governorate. This included the provision of tents and emergency kits to residents of Rumah district affected by floods and strong winds. The assistance reached 120 individuals, according to SPA. Empowering Families in Pakistan KSrelief also signed a joint executive program with a civil society organization in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to support economic empowerment for the region's poorest families. The project is expected to directly benefit 2,500 families approximately 17,500 individuals and indirectly impact 88,000 people, according to SPA. The program will provide beneficiaries with livestock and poultry, along with hands-on training in animal husbandry, in an attempt to help them reduce reliance on external aid.