The Hongkong Bank Foundation Improves Vision Health in Laos and Cambodia Through GX Foundation's "Cataract Blindness Elimination Program"

The Hongkong Bank Foundation has made a donation to support to the "Cataract Blindness Elimination Program" led by the GX Foundation ("the Foundation”). This initiative aims to improve vision health in both Laos and Cambodia. In addition, The Hongkong Bank Foundation will also sponsor students from Hong Kong to participate in internships in these project countries, fostering international collaboration and offering Hong Kong youth valuable learning opportunities.

The donation will support the operation of the Foundation’s “Cataract Blindness Elimination Program” in Laos and Cambodia over the next two years, which provide at least 1,500 free cataract surgeries and fund a minimum of 10 university students from Hong Kong to conduct internships. Upon concluding their internships, the interns will share their gained experiences and achievements in Hong Kong's secondary schools, in order to inspire a new generation of humanitarian aid workers and broaden their global perspectives.

Mr. LEUNG Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, said, “The Foundation is immensely grateful to The Hongkong Bank Foundation for their support. We believe that their generous donation will be put to good use by providing free cataract surgeries in Laos and Cambodia. We hope to receive support from different enterprises and community sectors, together we shall spread the kindness of Chinese people to the entire world.”

Dr Peter WONG, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and The Hongkong Bank Foundation said “We are committed to fostering stronger and more inclusive communities, with a special focus on serving those in need. Through supporting GX Foundation’s Cataract Blindness Elimination Program, we aim to nurture sustainable enhancements in people’s quality of life and create a brighter future of the underprivileged. Furthermore, our goal is to equip students with vital resources to create significant changes in our community and beyond. We believe this program will inspire them to contribute more to society.”

GX Foundation is a non-governmental charitable organization established in Hong Kong, China, in 2018. It aims to foster “people-to-people connectivity” through providing medical and public health humanitarian assistance in Belt and Road countries. The programs of the Foundation spans across Asia, Africa and Central America, with its flagship "Cataract Blindness Elimination Program" aiming to eliminate cataract backlog in the project countries. It has completed over 14,000 free surgeries to date, more than 7,800 of those surgeries from Laos nationwide and Prey Veng province in Cambodia, bringing light to hope to countless patients.

The "Cataract Blindness Elimination Program" in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia has completed nearly 3,900 free surgeries with a 100% surgical success rate, since its launch in December 2022. When the project drew to a close on 20th June 2024, it marked the Foundation's first completed project abroad. In the future, the Foundation will continue its work in a new province in Cambodia as well as the existing project in Pakse, Laos, to help restore sight for more people in need.