Leung Chun-ying (2nd R), vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of GX Foundation, Fang Hong (1st R), Chinese ambassador to Laos, Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune (C), Lao Deputy Prime Minister, and Bounfeng Phoummalaysith (2nd L), Lao minister of health, attend an event to celebrate the successful completion of the cataract blindness elimination project in Vientiane, Laos, May 9, 2025. Laos' Ministry of Health, in collaboration with China's GX Foundation, has held an event to celebrate the successful completion of the cataract blindness elimination project in Laos. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

Laos' Ministry of Health, in collaboration with China's GX Foundation, hasheld an event to celebrate the successful completion of the cataract blindness elimination project in Laos.

The project was initiated following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019, with the official launch taking place in September 2022.

In partnership with the Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 10 medical teams consisting of 84 ophthalmologists were dispatched to Laos to conduct eye examinations for over 6,500 Lao people and perform 5,768 cataract surgeries, successfully addressing the country's cataract backlog, a milestone that has been met with widespread appreciation from local communities.

The event on Friday was attended by Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of GX Foundation, Fang Hong, Chinese ambassador to Laos, and Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Lao minister of health.

Speaking at the event, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune emphasized that China's invaluable assistance has helped Lao patients regain their sight, improve their quality of life, and advance the country's public health initiatives.

He described the project as a tangible example of the spirit of the China-Laos community with a shared future.

Also speaking at the event, Leung Chun-ying noted that the foundation will contribute to the development of the China-Laos community with a shared future through ongoing cooperation in medicine and public health.

One of the participants, 65-year-old Phaly Sengduangchanh, shared her personal story with Xinhua, saying that "In 2023, I was nearly blind in my right eye due to cataracts."

"When I heard about this aid project, I underwent surgery. The operation was a success, and now my right eye has normal vision. Thanks to this project, I can see the world again!"

The GX Foundation is a Chinese non-profit and non-governmental organization registered in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the aim of providing humanitarian aid in the public health sector.

Phaly Sengduangchanh, a 65-year-old participant in the cataract blindness elimination project, attends an event to celebrate the project's successful completion in Vientiane, Laos, May 9, 2025. Laos' Ministry of Health, in collaboration with China's GX Foundation, has held an event to celebrate the successful completion of the cataract blindness elimination project in Laos.

The project was initiated following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019, with the official launch taking place in September 2022. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)