Crossing Dunes and Mud to Deliver Light to Remote Desert Regions

GX recently launched a new phase of its "Cataract Blindness Elimination Programme" in Mauritania and Senegal. The project sites have been relocated to more remote and inaccessible areas – Kiffa in southern Mauritania and Ndioum in Senegal – to continue providing free cataract screenings and surgeries for local residents, helping more people regain their sight.

These two locations are respectively 8 to 9 hours by road from the capital cities. Kiffa is located deep within endless deserts, while Ndioum lies in the heart of the desert along the Senegal-Mauritania border, where medical resources are extremely scarce. To arrive early, the team often sets out before dawn. The 18-tonne, 50-foot-long mobile eye treatment centre must traverse rolling sand dunes, navigate through muddy lowlands, and even cross rain-flooded roads, with drivers and staff having little opportunity for rest in the desert.

Due to limited local accommodation and sanitary conditions, the team conducted multiple advance inspections and preparations to ensure that the Heilongjiang Medical Team aiding Mauritania and the Fujian Medical Team aiding Senegal could have relatively comfortable resting environments after each day’s demanding work.

The first day of synchronised surgeries in both countries proceeded very smoothly. From early morning, dozens to hundreds of residents lined up for examinations. When patients opened their eyes for the first time after surgery and saw long-lost light, their faces lit up with surprise and smiles; the patients' joy deeply moved the team. As the first Chinese medical organisation to establish operations there, GX aims to eliminate the local backlog of cases within a year, enabling more patients to see their children’s smiles and rediscover the colours of life.

Since October 2023, GX has completed seven cohorts of the programme in Mauritania, accumulating over 1,900 surgeries, and similarly completed seven cohorts in Senegal, with over 4,000 surgeries performed there.