Conjoined Twins Separated at National Center for Pediatric Surgery in Wad Madani; One Stillborn
A conjoined twin was successfully separated from her stillborn sister at the National Center for Pediatric Surgery in Wad Madani, the capital of Al Gezira State, on 10 May 2025.
Both twins were girls. The surviving twin has been named Rawna Mohammed Izzeldin. Her stillborn sister, who had a head and torso, was attached to her by the torso.
The family, originally from Sennar in Blue Nile State, traveled to Wad Madani for the operation, which was made possible with support from the Minister of Health, Dr Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim. The surgery, led by Dr Faisal Nugud of the Dr Faisal Nugud Surgical Complex, took approximately two hours.
The National Center for Pediatric Surgery opened in Wad Madani in 2023, shortly after the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
The SAF regained control of Wad Madani and the rest of Al Gezira State in January 2025, following a series of strikes that weakened the RSF’s position.
News of the operation was first reported by Albalad TV and other local media outlets
Conjoined twins are very rare – only one in every 2.5 million births. About 40% of twins fused at the head are stillborn or die during labour and a third die within 24 hours. Sudan has had a history of a series of conjoined twins who have been successfully separated in Sudan and abroad.
- Conjoined twin girls Rital and Ritag Gaboura were separated at 11 months old on 15 August 2011, following four operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in the UK.
- Conjoined twin boys Ramah and Wadah were separated on 30 October 2016 at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Saudi Arabia.
- Conjoined twins born in the city of Kosti, in White Nile State, were successfully separated at a hospital in Khartoum on 11 March 2018.
