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

Leung said that Laos is the first country where the GX Foundation has achieved its target of eliminating the backlog of cases of cataract-induced blindness.

"The Foundation will continue our commitment to advancing medical and public health collaboration, contributing to the development of a China-Laos community with a shared future," he said.

Established in 2018, the GX Foundation focuses on providing humanitarian aid in the medical and public health fields to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

In May last year, it also launched the "Project for Health Protection against Dengue Fever" in partnership with the Laos-China Railway Company and the China Railway Kunming Group.

The project involved installing 1,000 mosquito-eradicating lamps at 24 stations along the China-Laos Railway and providing rapid dengue test kits at railway medical stations. This large-scale disease prevention effort is a rarity on a cross-border railway anywhere in the world.

On May 10, the GX Foundation renewed its memorandum of understanding with the Laos-China Railway Company to expand dengue prevention efforts along the railway.

With successful projects in Cambodia, Senegal, and now Laos, the foundation plans to broaden its operations, strengthen its team of young volunteers, and deepen collaboration with the Chinese mainland. Future initiatives include expanding cataract surgeries, preventing dengue fever, and providing drinking water to more regions.