Malian woman gives birth to nine babies in Morocco

A 25-year-old Malian woman, Halima Cisse, has given birth to nine babies in Morocco, where she went to seek better medical attention.

JOHANNESBURG, May 5 (ANA) – A 25-year-old Malian woman, Halima Cisse, gave birth to nine babies in Morocco on Tuesday, reported AFP.

According to the news agency, Moroccan authorities said that the nonuplets and their mother were healthy.

AFP reported that Mali’s government flew Cisse, who resides in the northern part of the West African state, to Morocco for better care on March 30. She was initially believed to have been carrying septuplets. Cases of women successfully carrying septuplets to term are rare, and nonuplets even rarer.

The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that when doctors in March said Cisse needed specialist care, the country’s transitional leader, Bah Ndaw, ordered that she be sent to Morocco, where she gave birth to five girls and four boys, according to Mali’s health ministry. All were delivered by Caesarean section.

“The mother and babies are doing well so far. They are due to return home in several weeks’ time,” Mali’s health minister, Fanta Siby, told AFP.

She said that she was in contact with the Malian doctor who accompanied the 25-year-old to Morocco.

Meanwhile, Moroccan health ministry spokesperson Rachid Koudhari said he had no knowledge of Cisse’s procedure and the multiple births in one of the country’s hospitals.

The People’s Gazette, a Nigerian news website, reported on Wednesday that doctors had been worried and uncertain about Cisse’s condition as this was an extremely special case.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher