Bamako: A Malian medical team successfully separated two conjoined newborns who shared a bladder and colon on September 9, 2026, at the Gabriel-Tour University Hospital Center (CHU) in Bamako, an intervention presented as a first in Mali. Born on August 29, 2026, by cesarean section, the two girls were connected by their urinary and digestive systems due to congenital malformations diagnosed during the pregnancy.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the procedure was carried out by a multidisciplinary team mobilized by the Director General of the Gabriel-Tour University Hospital, Professor Thierno Madani Diop. It included pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, radiologists, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, and paramedical staff from the operating room. After several pre-operative examinations and diagnoses, the specialists carried out the operation which made it possible to separate the two infants.

Mali's Minister of Health and Social Development, Assa Badiallo Tour, visited the university hospital to commend this success. She described the intervention as a "remarkable achievement" and congratulated the practitioners for their work. According to estimates cited by the ministry, conjoined twin births occur in approximately one out of every 200,000 births.

Conjoined twins result from the incomplete separation of a single embryo early in pregnancy. Their surgical separation depends in particular on the organs they share and their state of health. According to the Malian authorities, this success also constitutes a concrete illustration of the importance of the advanced medical equipment made available to health facilities and the competence of Malian healthcare personnel.

Beyond the surgical feat, this intervention marks an important step in the development of specialized surgery in Mali and testifies to the ability of the country's medical teams to handle complex surgical cases.