GX Foundation concludes cataract initiative in Laos, eyes broader health collaboration

In a significant stride toward improving public health in Southeast Asia, the Hong Kong-based GX Foundation has completed its six-year Cataract Blindness Elimination Program in Laos.

The program, which was initiated following a memorandum of understanding signed with Laos' Ministry of Health in 2019, ended with a ceremony in Vientiane on Friday, marking the delivery of nearly 5,800 free cataract surgeries across the nation.

The program was aimed at addressing the backlog of cataract cases in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Champasak.

Since its official launch in September 2022, 10 medical teams comprising 73 ophthalmologists from China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region conducted eye examinations for more than 6,500 individuals and performed 5,768 cataract surgeries, effectively eliminating the backlog of cases.

Speaking at the event, Laos' Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune lauded the initiative as a tangible example of the China-Laos community's shared future, emphasizing its impact on improving patients' quality of life and improving the country's public health initiatives.

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