The fourth cohort of the Laos project was recently completed successfully, with the Guangxi medical team completing a total of 478 surgeries. So far, GX has performed 2,312 cases of free cataract surgeries in the country.

In July, Chairman CY Leung led the team to visit Luang Prabang. After the visit, it was decided that the project site would be relocated from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. It is estimated that the relocation will be completed in 2 months. The 5th cohort of the medical team will carry out surgeries in Luang Prabang.

The third cohort of the Guangxi medical team to Cambodia started operations at the end of July this year. The cohort was concluded successfully few days ago and the result was very encouraging. The medical team has completed 826 cases of free cataract surgeries so far.

GX Foundation is grateful to the medical team for their dedication in bringing hopes and brightness to the Cambodian patients. So far, GX has completed 1627 cases of free cataract surgery in the country.

In September 2022, GX Foundation launched “The Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” in Laos, Cambodia, and Djibouti, having completed over 4,100 cataract surgeries free-of-charge since. Recently, 3 interns and GX CEO Professor Emily Chan Ying Yang visited the project site in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia, travelling to the village to visit recovering patients. Professor Emily Chan is grateful for the support and dedication from the Guangxi medical team while GX Foundation has successfully completed over 1,600 surgeries in Cambodia so far without any postoperative complications. All patients are making satisfactory progress in recovery.

Oxbridge students visited Cambodia for an unprecedented internship to exchange medical skills and knowledge

Since 2019, over 50 Hong Kong university students have trained under GX’s “Field Experiential Learning Programme”. The programme was extended to overseas universities in early-September 2023. 3 interns from University of Oxford, Cambridge University and the University of Hong Kong were sent to Prey Veng Province, Cambodia to receive hands-on training in fieldwork experience. During their internship, they were responsible for triaging patients, conducting preoperative questionnaires, and visiting patients’ homes. Through various tasks, the interns developed knowledge on project operations and gained primary experience working in the field. GX CEO Professor Emily Chan Ying Yang also visited the field and shared with them some important notes she learnt from her early experiences working in the humanitarian frontline. She encouraged the students to “go outside of Hong Kong and contribute to the mother country”, describing this programme as an unprecedented learning opportunity for both the medical team and Hong Kong students to exchange and learn from each other in a foreign country — thus developing the GX and Belt-and-Road spirit of “sharing”.

Eliminating the cataract blindness backlog cases in Pea Reang District

Pea Reang District is one of the 12 administrative areas in Prey Veng Province. Since last December, patients in this district have been receiving surgeries in GX’s Mobile Eye Treatment Centre. Throughout the past few months, GX Foundation has been partnering with local health departments extensively to optimise transport arrangements for patients. So far, GX has completed hundreds of surgeries in the district — so many that local officials have even reported their difficulties searching for new patients. CEO Professor Emily Chan Ying Yang commented, “This is such an important milestone for GX’s project in Cambodia. GX will continue working with the medical team to eliminate the backlog of cataract cases in Prey Veng Province.”

The surgical outcomes were satisfactory that patient’s vision was greatly improved

The Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has sent a 3rd medical team to support GX’s project in Cambodia, where over 1,600 surgeries have been completed so far without any postoperative complications. All patients are making satisfactory progress in recovery. In general, the preoperative visual acuity among patients was lower than 0.1 and raised to 0.6 or above after the cataract surgery. CEO Professor Emily Chan Ying Yang is thankful to all Guangxi medical personnel who supported the cataract project in Cambodia. She said, “I am very grateful to the Guangxi medical team for their contribution to the project, especially the first cohort who went abroad during the pandemic and showed their ‘fearlessness of hardship, dedication, and life-saving boundless love’.”

Apart from the ongoing projects in East Africa, Laos, Cambodia and Djibouti, GX will be launching 2 other projects in West Africa—Mauritania and Senegal—by the end of September. GX strives to restore the sight of local patients, develop friendships with other countries through medical assistance, and foster “people-to-people” connectivity.

Meeting with the Ministry of Health of Cambodia and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia

CEO Professor Emily Chan Ying Yang and GX team met with the newly appointed Minister of Health of Cambodia and extended their warmest congratulations to the minister. The team looks forward to working in close collaboration with the minister on GX’s “Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” to restore sight for Cambodian patients.

Meanwhile, this year marks the 65th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia. The Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia also met the minister with Professor Emily Chan to carry forward the China-Cambodia impregnable friendship through practical cooperation.

A 75-year-old man living in the Sithor Kandal District, located in Prey Veng Province in south-eastern Cambodia, is our 1,000th local surgical patient.

In the past ten years, cataract had plagued the old man's life by preventing him from recognizing family and friends and only being able to perceive them through sound and touch.

Fortunately, his eye disease was cured with the help of medical team. The man was very excited about recovering his eyesight, and sincerely thanked GX for organising the “Cataract Blindness Elimination Programme”, which allowed him to regain vision and rediscover the joy of living.

After performing 530 surgeries in Laos, the third Guangxi Medical Team has successfully completed its mission and returned home safely.  

GX expresses gratitude to the team for their selfless dedication, bringing new hope and a better life to families in Laos. So far, GX has completed 1834 cases of free cataract surgery in the country.

On the first day of internship, 7 students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong assisted in stimulating “The Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” at GX’s project site in Vientiane, Laos. Apart from performing simple health checkups for patients, they also shared their healthcare knowledge, including vector-borne diseases transmission and medication for diabetes and high blood pressure, with local patients and their families. In addition, the students took the opportunity to learn from the Guangxi medical team to Laos about eye exam procedures.

Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, CEO of GX Foundation, gave a lecture to students on the ground, sharing some important notes she learnt from her early experiences working in the humanitarian frontline. She also encouraged students to seize the opportunity to participate in international medical humanitarian aid outside of Hong Kong.

Yesterday in the afternoon, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, met with Mr. Sonexay, Prime Minister of Laos, in Vientiane, Laos, to discuss the progress of fully operationalizing GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Laos. They also exchanged views on the expansion of cooperation in medical and public health issues in the next stage.

Following yesterday’s visit to the 103 Military Hospital in Vientiane, Laos, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, and Mr. Jiang Zai-dong, the Chinese Ambassador to Laos, travelled to Luang Prabang, a province in northern Laos, for investigation. They visited the 107 Military Hospital and met with senior officials of the hospital, principal officials of the local Health Department and Chinese local counterparts to access the feasibility of moving the project site of the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project to Luang Prabang.

This morning, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, and the team visited the 103 Military Hospital in Vientiane, Laos. During their visit, a group of patients shared their joy of regaining vision after surgeries with Mr. Leung. He thanked the 3rd cohort of the Guangxi medical team to Laos for their efforts and dedication in international medical aid work, bringing hope and brightness to the Lao people. Their kindness is beyond measure. 

So far, GX Foundation has completed 1,656 cases of free cataract surgeries locally.

A father and daughter visited our project site on a surgical day during the third Laos cohort. The 70-year-old father is a retired military person, who earns a living through agriculture after retirement. However, his right eye had lost vision for three years due to cataract. His daily life and work were affected that he needs to be taken care of by his family.

The family, which lives far away from the capital, Vientiane, learnt of GX’s free cataract surgery through broadcast. Everyone in the family was nervous and worried about the surgery. His daughter and daughter-in-law even accompanied him by the side to support him before the operation. 

After a successful operation, the old man claimed that he was reborn as the medical team removed the gauze for him. He was thankful to his daughter and daughter-in-law for supporting him and was very much looking forward to resuming agricultural work with a healthy vision. The daughter was delighted as her father regained vision and wished him good health. 

On this special day, GX Foundation wishes all fathers a very “Happy Father’s Day”!

To celebrate China National Eye Care Day today, different eye exercises and eye health activities are held across the country to educate the public about the importance of eye health and vision care.

In Laos, it is the first operation day for the third cohort of the Guangxi medical team to Laos as well. We hope all operations go smoothly and would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the medical team for their efforts in bringing love and brightness to Laos.

In Cambodia, a woman with bilateral cataract completed surgery for both eyes. As a mother of two, she could not recognise the faces of her children and husband before the surgery due to poor vision, and could only see the silhouettes of her family. She started to see clearly in colour again the morning after surgery.
The patient also suffers from diabetes, which was a major concern for the team in her previous few visits. Her high blood glucose was finally under control after 5 months that the operation is safe for her. The long wait since December was worthwhile - the visual acuity of her better eye has reached 1.0, the vision of a healthy individual. She is no longer seeing her family as dark shadows.
She will be able to work again in the rice fields at home after a 3 to 5 month recovery, having promised to follow the team’s advice on eye care in the upcoming months.

A 71-year-old woman from Cambodia suffered cataracts in both eyes, with one eye completely losing its vision and the other experiencing blurry vision. Cataracts also caused her frequent headaches, sometimes so severe that she couldn't get out of bed and had to sleep all day, significantly impacting her daily life.

After receiving surgical treatment, she regained her vision and promised to take good care of her eyes in the future.

After performing 439 surgeries in Cambodia, the second Guangxi Medical Team has successfully completed their mission and returned home safely.
GX expresses gratitude to the second medical team from Cambodia for their selfless dedication, bringing new hope and a better life to numerous families in Cambodia.

So far, GX has completed 801 cases of free cataract surgery in the country.

Taking the opportunity, she visited Mr. Song Yang, the Chinese ambassador to Peru as well as the Peruvian office of GX board member China Communications Construction Company, introducing the work of GX, taking interest in the country’s healthcare, and exploring the feasibility of carrying out humanitarian assistance and public health projects locally.

During the 65-day mission, the Guangxi Medical Team to Laos completed a total of 902 surgeries in the second cohort. They returned safely to Liuzhou, Guangxi on May 14.
As they bid farewell, the medical team and the Lao GX staff could hardly be separated from their affectionate embrace. The emotional scene was an authentic portrayal of what we call the “people-to-people bond”.
GX is grateful to the second Guangxi Medical Team to Laos for their dedication and selflessness, through which new hope and new life have been brought to countless Lao families.
We wish the medical team prosperity and fulfilment from their life and work!

During yesterday’s pre-operational check, our medical team and translator tried their best but failed to communicate with a middle-aged man before realising that he is a deaf-mute person.
Hence, we could only rely on his mother to communicate with him with body language. The poor mother, who takes care of his two deaf-mute sons, only make LAK 70,000 (around HKD30) every day while the brothers used to work outside and earn LAK 150,000 (around HKD75) each month, before losing their visions.
Given the man are unable to talk and hear, contracting cataract makes him became the family burden. At the first place, the man looked worried when he arrived the hospital. After providing him surgical treatment which enable him to see again, we were so delighted to see his joyful smile.
Before leaving the hospital, our medical team gifted them with traditional Chinese food as well as sent their best wishes to them.

Today, we spotted a familiar face in our Laos project field. The elder sister, who had received surgery from GX and had recently recommended her two sisters to seek help from GX, visited us again one month after her surgery on one eye. The result of her previous operation with GX was great so that she is able to see clearly now.
Since her vision on another eye was blurry, she had decided to visit us again to receive cataract surgery on the other eye.
When showing her the photo of her two sisters, she was surprised that we were able to spot her in the crowd. She was very thankful to the Chinese medical team for treating her and her family, and bringing new hope and life to them.

Two days ago, GX CEO, Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, had a meeting with Tian Min, Chinese Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, to explore the possibility of the collaboration on public health and medical assistance to facilitate “people to people connectivity” between China and Brazil.

Recently, our medical team performed surgeries for two sisters in Laos. Both of them were grateful for the free surgeries and appreciated that the surgery was safe and reliable. They also praised the professionalism of our medical teams. 
During the conversation, we found that their elder sister, who received surgery from GX last month, had already recovered and strongly recommended them to seek help from GX.
The sisters hoped that GX could continue to provide free cataract surgeries to people in need. In the future, they will recommend friends and family members, who also suffer from cataract, to seek eye treatment from GX.
As the Chinese saying goes, “good news travels fast”. GX Foundation hopes to reach out to more local patients and provide cataract surgeries to them, to restore sight, independence, and dignity.

Since completing the first surgery in Laos last September, GX colleague and medical team have been working hard to accelerate the progress on bringing brightness to patients. Currently, we have sent one medical team to Laos and Cambodia respectively, to perform cataract surgery for local people. We are delighted to announce that GX completed the global 2000th case in Cambodia yesterday (2 May 2023), marking the new historical record of our project.

After completion of the post-operation check-up, our patients all wore a delightful smile. Three old ladies also drew a picture of Jenny, a reporter of China Daily.
Photo Credit: China Daily Hong Kong

A 76-year-old woman cannot see clearly owing to cataract, and she suffers from dementia. She often gets lost and forgets things.
Her daughter sent her to the hospital by motorcycle and she is looking forward to going to the temple and seeing her 12-year-old grandson again after regaining eyesight.
Today, she became our 1000th case in Laos.

The banner filled with supportive messages written by Hong Kong students and GX’s staff was presented to the medical team stationed in Laos. The Guangxi Medical Team was grateful for the support and encouragement and felt much appreciated after reading through the messages.

Guangxi Medical Team will continue to perform free-cataract surgeries for local patients until mid-May, contributing to the “people to people” connectivity between the Chinese and Laos people by bringing brightness to countless of Laos people and the world population.

Mr. Leung Chun-ying encouraged students to take up important roles in the international community
GX Foundation (GX) is pleased to announce that over 1,000 cases of cataract surgeries were completed worldwide. On 14th September 2022, GX completed its 1st cataract surgery in Vientiane, the Capital of Laos, and reached 1000 cases worldwide in Djibouti, Africa on 12th March 2023. As of 22nd March 2023, GX has completed 1386 surgeries worldwide.
As The Foundation is launching the second phase of “The Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” in Laos, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of the GX Foundation and Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended a GX’s educational event and joined 40 secondary school students to connect with the field team in Laos virtually. Mr. Jiang Zai-dong, Chinese Ambassador to Laos, Dr. Liu Sida, Project Director of GX Program and the Guangxi Medical Team shared about their experiences working in the field in Laos. Mr. Leung and students wrote words of encouragement on a banner, which would be presented to the Guangxi Medical Team stationed in Laos.
Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of the GX Foundation and Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), shared the stories of how GX colleagues brought Chinese love to Africa and encouraged students to “go global” representing Hong Kong, China, to take up important roles in the international community. Mr. Leung said, “As China is gradually moving towards the centre of the world stage, the career planning of Hong Kong people should no longer be limited to Hong Kong, but should be extended to rest of the world and our country, China, instead. As the Foundation expands the scope of humanitarian assistance work, the future of Hong Kong students is no longer limited to being a clinical doctor in the local community.” He hoped that students could think prospectively and go beyond Hong Kong and China when they prepare their future career plans.
Mr. Jiang Zai-dong, Chinese Ambassador to Laos, stated that the work of GX Foundation brought positive impacts on deepening the relationship between the Chinese and Lao people. He was pleased that the Foundation could bring brightness to countless of Lao people and encouraged youths in Hong Kong to seize the opportunity and actively participate in work of GX.
Oliver Pang, a student from King’s College, noted that the medical team did not only treat patients but also comforted their emotions, which fully embodied the qualities of “one heart” and “sharing”. Pang mentioned he was moved and excited when the medical team shared about the moment of many cataract patients restored vision. At the same time, Pang became more determined to practice medicine in the future, knowing that practicing medicine could not only help others but also represented a form of personal growth. He hoped that one day he could have the opportunity to help people in need around the world.
Jasmine Ho, a student from St. Paul's Convent School, stated that the virtual meeting with the Guangxi Medical Team stationed in Laos was very memorable and the sharing by Mr. Leung Chun-ying, gave her great encouragement and inspirations. She added that Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, CEO of the GX Foundation, and one of the GX’s staff in field were both her senior fellows. She was deeply influenced by them and realized that her strength was not as weak as she had imagined. She hoped to follow down the path of her senior fellows and become a doctor to help people in need from different countries in her own ways.
Kelvin Cheang, a student from Diocesan Boys' School, also had a deep impression on Mr. Leung's sharing of the short story in Djibouti, Africa. He could feel the tension and excitement when a pregnant mother was waiting for her father to complete the cataract surgery. He found the GX “Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” very meaningful as it could bring new hope to patients. He also believed that the sharing session had brought him new inspirations. He will continue to study hard in the future and try his best to help those in need around the world.
Max Ma, a student from Ying Wa College, stated that despite cataract surgery was an operation with risk, knowing that the Foundation was able to complete the operations without any complications, he believed the medical team was highly skilled and experienced. The GX programme made him feel very warm and he was determined to become a doctor in the future.
Adrian Cheng, a student from St. Paul's Co-educational College, stated the cataract surgery that lasted for 25 minutes was simple and inexpensive, yet, the African people could not receive proper treatments due to lack of resources, had conveyed a sign of unfairness. Fortunately, the China medical team had kindly extended their helping hands to the African people, enabling them to receive fair and equitable treatment, and regaining vision for self-reliance. She found the work of GX Foundation very meaningful as the GX staff and the medical team were willing to contribute to the world and overcome different challenges along the way.
Angelina Wong, a student from Diocesan Girls' School, also expressed her great appreciation to the medical team for their efforts in overcoming different obstacles to persuade local people to perform surgeries, helping them to restore vision and bringing hope to those living in developing countries.

After the successful launch of the programme in Djibouti, East Africa, a team of 3 people led by Ms. Caroline Dubois, Project Director of GX Africa programmes, flew from Djibouti to Mauritania to prepare for the upcoming project.
The team visited the local Chinese embassy, and met with the officials of Ministry of Health officials as well as the local Heilongjiang medical team to discuss the details on launching the “Cataract Blindness Elimination Project”. With the dedicated efforts by the team, great progress had been made and the project is expected to be launched before Fall as scheduled.
Since Djibouti and Mauritania are situated in the east coast and west coast of Africa respectively, the team had travelled for more than 50 hours without a direct flight for the round trip because we are all hoping to help thousands of cataract patients to restore sight as soon as possible.
GX Foundation expects to launch its programmes in Mauritania and Senegal by end of this year, taking a step further for “people-to-people” connectivity between China and Africa.

Lac Assal is a famous tourists attraction, located in central Djibouti, where many low-income families are living in the area. Recently, China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), a key field partner to GX, has arranged a private shuttle to transfer 20 patients with eye disease to the Hospital Général Peltier for eye examination.
After comprehensive sets of eye examinations by our medical team, 7 patients were diagnosed as cataract and confirmed suitable for cataract surgeries, while the other 13 patients were unsuitable for surgeries due to different reasons or other eye conditions. Those patients received basic treatment and public education.
Same day after surgeries, GX Foundation has arranged the 7 patients to stay at the hospital for inward observations. The cataract surgeries were completed with great success that every patient was covered in the joy of regaining vision.
GX Foundation is grateful for the support from local Chinese companies, which is essential for GX to launch our project locally. We are pleased to partner with our board member, CCCC, to become the " Bringers of Light " of the people of Djibouti. We wish all the patients a pleasant journey home and a bright life.

The banner filled with supportive messages written by Hong Kong students to Djibouti, East Africa and was presented to the medical team by Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of the GX Foundation, Prof. Emily Chan Ying-yang, CEO of the GX Foundation and Mr. Fu Qiang, board member of the GX Foundation and Chief Engineer, China Sinopharm International Corporation . Mr. Leung also shared about the mission and vision of our foundation programmes with the medical team before writing messages of encouragement with Mr. Fu Qiang.
The Shanxi Medical Team was grateful for HK students’ support and felt much appreciated after reading through the messages.
Carried tons of affection and sincere gratitude from Hong Kong students to the medical team, the banner is a trifling present with a weighty thought behind it.
In the future, GX Foundation will continue to organise school outreach activities to connect students with our medical teams and colleagues who are carrying humanitarian work in different parts of the world, and cultivate students with a broad mind and a global outlook.

On 27 February 2023, during his visit to Djibouti, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chairman of the GX Foundation, met with Mr. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti, and co-chaired the launching ceremony of GX Foundation's "Cataract Blindness Elimination Project" with the Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed.
Afterwards, Mr. Mohamed, on behalf of Djibouti President Guelleh, presented Mr. Leung The Independence Day Medal (Knight) as a commendation. Dr. Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Minister of Health of Djibouti, Mr. Hu Bin, Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti, Professor Chan Ying-yang, CEO of GX Foundation, Mr. Fu Qiang, GX Foundation Director, and Caroline Dubois, Director of the Foundation (African Project) also attended the ceremony.
Mr. Leung Chun-ying said that he was very happy to be recognised by the Djibouti government for GX Foundation’s work in Djibouti, and was honoured to be awarded the medal. He was especially grateful for the support from the Health Commission of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Medical Team and local Chinese-funded organisations.
Mr. Leung added that GX Foundation, being a Chinese national non-governmental organisation established in Hong Kong, gathers the forces from the civil society in the Mainland and Hong Kong, and cooperates with the Shanxi Medical Team as bringers of light to the Djiboutian people, contributing to building a community with a shared future in the health of mankind. It also demonstrates internationally the hard work of Chinese NGO in providing humanitarian services.
GX Foundation has initiated the "Cataract Blindness Elimination Project" in Djibouti of East Africa, Laos and Cambodia of Southeast Asia, while theses projects will continue for several years. In Djibouti, it is estimated that there is an accumulation of about 6,000 backlogged cases of cataract. GX Foundation will continue to provide free cataract surgery, with the goal of completely clearing the backlogged cases. Similar projects in Mauritania and Senegal of Africa will also be launched within this year.

6,000 Free Cataract Surgery to be performed in Djibouti in collaboration with Shanxi Medical Team
GX Foundation (The Foundation) officially launched the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Djibouti city, capital of Djibouti, Africa yesterday (27th February, 2023). Attending by Mr. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, Prime Minister of Djibouti, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of GX Foundation, Dr. Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Minsiter of Health of Djibouti and Mr. Hu Bin, Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti, the launch ceremony concluded with great success. In the ceremony, the guest of honours removed the gauze for cataract patients who recently underwent surgery, sharing with them the joys of regaining vision on the World NGO Day 2023.
Concurrently, the Foundation renewed the Memorandum of Understanding for the upcoming 3 years with the Ministry of Health of Djibouti, extending the partnership to 2026, aiming to eliminate the 6000 local backlogged cases of cataract in Djibouti.
Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of CPPCC and Chairman of GX Foundation said, “Being one of first non-governmental organizations to launch its overseas projects after the pandemic, the Foundation hopes to demonstrate the contribution of Chinese NGO in international humanitarian assistance and solidify the cultural exchanges between the Chinese and Djiboutian to reach new heights through launching the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project on the World NGO Day 2023.
With long history of providing medical assistance to Djibouti, Shanxi Province has sent the 21st medical teams to Djibouti since 1986. Their professional skills and selfless dedication have been widely recognised by the local people, and they are a model of non-governmental diplomacy between China and Djibouti. The first batch of medical teams for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project came from Shanxi Eye Hospital, consisting of 7 ophthalmologists and nurses. They will be stationed at the 2 well-equipped Mobile Eye Treatment Centers (METCs) in Peltier General Hospital, providing free cataract surgery for patients, with the hope of eliminating all local cataract backlogs. Liu Jian-ting, leader of the Shanxi medical team supporting the project, said , “The weather and living conditions in Djibouti lead to early-onset cataracts. Many patients are diagnosed with cataract around the age of 40 but there is a lack of well-trained ophthalmologists to carry out cataract surgery in Djibouti. I am very happy that I can help cataract patients in Djibouti to regain their sight.

"It's my first time to travel to Africa. I am very excited. I hope our mission could be completed safely and successfully."
Wang Qiang , an engineer of the METC, joined GX team to Africa to assist in the preparation of the project in Djibouti. In the past few years, the dedicated efforts of the METC producer has enabled GX’s METC to perform cataract surgery in Southeast Asia and Africa. "I am mainly responsible for designing the power supply system as well as setting up the electrical wiring in the car while the colleagues from other departments are responsible for the car design, sourcing of materials and assembly of the entire car. It takes around 4 months for a team of about 15 people to complete the assembly of one METC.
Have been working on the METC for 10 years, Wang Qiang is no stranger to business trips, but this is his first time working in Africa. "I haven’t encountered any difficulties working here. Apart from testing the electricity and assisting in the installation of equipment, I also demonstrate the use of equipment and generator for the medical team to ensure that the surgery can be carried out under safe conditions." Wang is pleased to answer any questions from our colleagues as well as introduce the equipment of the METC.
On the ground, Wang was very helpful. He offered a lot of help in our preparation work such as setting up the tables and chairs for registration under the high temperature. Wang always has an amiable signature smile on his face, radiating positive energy all around him.
On the day of the operation, Wang witnessed for the first patient who completed the operation getting off the METC, and was very moved. "It's really an honuor, and I am very grateful to GX for providing me a chance to be part of the project."
After spending only one week with Wang, everyone appreciates Wang's easy-going personality. Despite being very reluctant to let him leave, we wish him a safe and pleasant journey home.

GX team took part in Chinese New Year celebration event with Djiboutian people

The team of The GX Foundation (The Foundation) has been tirelessly working on the humanitarian assistance project in countries along the Belt and Road before the Chinese New Year holiday. After signing the MOU with the Health Commission of Heilongjiang Province, the GX team also travelled to Shanxi Province and Djibouti, Africa, to meet with the medical team and local partners to prepare to launch the first Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Africa in late February.

Joining a Chinese New Year celebration event organised by the Confucius Institute and the 21st Chinese medical team in Djibouti, the GX team members also participated in traditional Chinese New Year cultural events including paper cutting, “pitch-pot”, “touch blessing” games, and tea ceremony to celebrate Chinese New Year with the local people in order to build credible relationships, foster respectable friendships and share in admirable vision.

The Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and GX Foundation Chairman, Mr. Leung Chun-ying said: “Caroline Dubois, Ravneet Saran, and Irene Fung, the young colleagues from different ethnics and family backgrounds of the Foundation, have devoted themselves to the work for the Foundation and actively participated in the promotion of “people to people” connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation, which fosters the integration into the National Development. Apart from preparation to launch the first Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Djibouti, East Africa, they also contributed Hong Kong’s power to the people-to-people connectivity between China and Djibouti. GX Foundation leverages Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying strong national support and being closely connected to the world. The Foundation is both a participant and a contributor to the Belt and Road Initiative. " 

In Shanxi Province, another GX team visited medical professionals and the representatives of the Health Commission of Shanxi Province to prepare for launch of the coming Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. Shanxi Province will send their elite ophthalmology medical team with experience in aiding Africa to Djibouti. Liu Jiewei, leader of the medical team, said “it is our great honour to represent Shanxi Province and the GX Foundation to perform humanitarian mission in Djibouti. We will do our best to help local people to restore their visions so as to regain their normal life with dignity as well as to contribute to people-to-people connectivity along the Belt and Road countries.

The GX Foundation expects to perform about 6,000 free cataract surgeries in Djibouti in the next four years to eliminate the backlog of cataract cases in Djibouti.

On 13th December 2022, GX signed an MOU with the Ministry of Health of Mauritania to formally launch the "GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” in Nouakchott. The Foundation will work with Heilongjiang Province of China to send expert medical teams, to provide free cataract surgeries to the elderly people of the region. In the first phase, 1 Mobile Eye Treatment Centre (METC) will be sent to Nouakchott to address backlog cases of cataract. On board the METC, a patient's vision can be restored in 20 minutes. The MOU was signed by Moktar Ould Dahi, Minister of Health of Mauritania, and Professor Chan Ying Yang Emily, CEO of GX Foundation. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX, and  Chinese Embassy in Mauritania.

GX is excited to expand its work into West Africa, and to work with Mauritania to diminish the burden of reversible blindness in the country.

Reporting:

Dotdotnews

Speakout HK

10,000 surgeries to be performed locally free of charge in the coming three years

GX Foundation (the Foundation) and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia officially launched the foundation’s “Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” yesterday (6th December, 2022) in Prey Veng, Cambodia. Foundation Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Leung Chun-ying, His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Dr. Yim Chhay Ly and His Excellency Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian attended the project launch ceremony. They removed the gauze for the patients who have undergone surgery, finally restoring their vision. The foundation will perform 10,000 local surgeries free of charge in the coming three years.

To promote people-to-people connectivity and build a community of shared future

To promote people-to-people connectivity and build a community of shared future, GX Foundation is committed to uplift the spirit of "sharing" under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation by carrying out humanitarian aid projects. Foundation Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Leung Chun-ying, said that China and Cambodia have over 60 years of diplomatic relations, and GX hopes to strengthen and promote the friendly relationship between the two countries by improving the quality of life of the Cambodian people. "Under the Belt and Road Initiative, GX will target to provide impactful interventions to meet the humanitarian aid and health needs of developing countries. We work with local counterparts to implement projects and boost the cultural exchange between China and partner countries.” In the future, GX will continue to be active in the field, supporting those in need within the international community, promoting "people-to-people connectivity" between countries, and building a community of shared future.

Continuous support from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region medical team 

GX have deployed two Mobile Eye Treatment Centres (METCs) which are fully equipped to perform cataract surgery on a patient in 20 minutes, along with and a nine-people medical team from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China to provide free cataract surgery for the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia. In Cambodia, the expert medical team has previously completed a similar project for local people in Kampong Cham. The medical team also completed 402 operations in Vientiane, Laos from September to October 2022, with no serious complications.

Donated over 20 tons of medical equipment

In addition to cataract blindness elimination, GX also partnered with the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia in other areas to meet various health needs of the Cambodian people. In April 2021, cases of COVID-19 increased in the country. As a response, GX donated over 20 tons of medical equipment and supplies to the government in July 2021 at the urgent request of the Government of Cambodia. In May 2022, GX returned to Prey Veng Province to implement a vector-borne disease control programme and prepare for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. Eleven weeks ago, GX renewed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia to consolidate the foundation's work in the country for the next 3 years.

Reporting:

Dotdotnews

Speakout HK

Speakout HK

Tai Kung Pao

Wen Wei Pao

HK01

Cambodgemag

Freshnewsasia

Aseantop 

Khmer Times

Tomorrow (5th December) is the International Volunteer Day, and GX Foundation celebrated with our Guangxi medical team by eating dumplings  while delivering humanitarian aid in Cambodia.
The GX Hong Kong team and the Guangxi medical team arrived in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia in late November, in preparation to launch a one-month Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. From setting up field office, preparing medical supplies, delivering Mobile Eye Treatment Centre to the field, coordinating with local counterparts and arranging the arrival of medical teams. GX team started from scratch, and the project is starting soon , we are excited that GX can help Cambodian cataract patients regain their sight.
To celebrate the International Volunteer Day, Guangxi medical team and GX staff prepared ingredients and made a dumplings to share a meal together. Dumplings are a folk food with a long history. They are known as a traditional festive food in China which symbolize reunion. Team head Dr Xu Fan encourages the team to cook together every day while they are away from home. He also hopes that during International Volunteer Day, he can share traditional Chinese food with GX staff to cheer everyone up and to call for more mainland medical personnel to join the international humanitarian aid efforts.
Mr. Leung Chun-ying, GX Foundation Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is very grateful for the support from Mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as the GX staff’s efforts in Laos, Cambodia and other countries along the Belt and Road. The foundation is working in these countries to launch the Cataract Blindness Elimination Projects and other public health educational projects. GX hope to celebrate International Volunteer Day and use this as an opportunity to encourage more young people and those with aspirations to participate in the work of GX Foundation, to become a down-to-earth activist, to help those in need in the international community, to promote "people-to-people connectivity" among peoples of all countries, and to promote the building of community of common destiny.
Prof. CHAN Ying Yang, Emily, CEO of GX, mentioned that GX will cooperate with medical teams from different provinces in the Mainland to provide a platform for ambitious people in the Mainland China and Hong Kong to participate in international humanitarian aid work. It is hoped that the project can be extended to more countries in the future .

Reporting:

HK01

Sing Tao Daily

Headline Daily

Bastille Post

Hong Kong Commercial Daily

Dotdotnews

Speakout Hong Kong

Two GX Mobile Eye Treatment Centres have arrived in Prey Veng Provincial Hospital, where the GX team is working hard to set up the project site. GX will kickstart its Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Prey Veng in December 2022. The project aims to eliminate nation-wide cataract backlog cases in partnership with expert Chinese medical teams from Guangxi Autonomous Region of China and the Cambodian Ministry of Health.

On 4th November 2022, GX entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health and Social action of Senegal to formally launch the "GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project" in Fatick Region of Senegal, which is the home of President of the Republic Macky Sall. The MOU was signed by Dr Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, Minister of Health and Social action of Senegal, and Professor Chan Ying Yang Emily, CEO of GX Foundation. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX, and  Ambassador Xiao Han of the People's Republic of China.
The Foundation will work with Fujian Province of China to send expert medical teams, to provide free cataract surgeries to the elderly people of the region. In the first phase, 1 Mobile Eye Treatment Centre (METC) will be sent to Fatick Hospital to address backlog cases of cataract. On board the METC, a patient's vision can be restored in 20 minutes. 
GX is excited to expand its work into West Africa, and to work with Senegal to diminish the burden of reversible blindness in the country.

Reporting:

ActuSEN

Embassy of China in Senegal

JT de 20h

Speakout 

GX Foundation has successfully completed 402 cataract surgeries in Vientiane, Laos. This was achieved in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR, and a 10-person expert medical team from Guangxi Autonomous Region of China. Surgery is conducted on board two Mobile Eye Treatment Centres (METC), which are fully equipped to perform cataract surgery on a patient in 20 minutes. We sincerely thank the Ministry of Health, Vientiane 103 Military Hospital, the Health Commission of Guangxi Autonomous Region, the Asian Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness, and other partners for their contributions to our mission to restore vision to the elderly people of Laos! 

Reporting:

HK01

The Standard

The opening ceremony of the GX Foundation Laos field office was held on 15th September, 2022 in Vientiane. This marks the first official opening of a GX overseas station. This office will coordinate, communicate, and oversee GX projects and field stations across Laos. The attending guests included Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, and Directors Dr. Ko Wing-man, CEO Prof. Chan Ying-yang Emily, Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zai-dong and Chinese medical team as well as partners in various fields.
GX would like to thank its various field partners for their generous support towards and throughout this process.

GX Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Cambodia have renewed their commitment today for the Foundation’s cataract blindness elimination project in Prey Veng Province. The project will provide cataract surgery free of charge to the elderly people of Prey Veng Province. Today’s ceremony solidifies GX’s presence in the country for the next 3 years, signed into effect by Foundation Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Leung Chun-ying, and His Excellency Minister of Health Professor Mam Bunheng, and witnessesd by Ambassador Wang Wentian of the People’s Republic of China.

This is the second memorandum of understanding signed between GX Foundation and the Ministry of Health, with the first agreement signed in October 2019 for a 3-year partnership to eliminate the backlog of cataract-blind patients in Prey Veng province in southeastern Cambodia. Since then, GX Foundation has also worked with the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 equipment donation, vector-borne disease control projects. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Foundation reprioritised pandemic humanitarian activities and delayed the launch of the cataract blindness elimination project. Under this renewed agreement, GX Foundation is committed to launching its project in Prey Veng Province in December 2022, assuming the pandemic situation in Cambodia is under control.

The Foundation will send 2 Mobile Eye Treatment Centers (METC), which are fully equipped to perform cataract surgery on a patient in 20 minutes. Medical experts from Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will be sent to provide free cataract surgeries to Cambodia people. The group has previous experience with delivering cataract surgery in Kampong Cham in partnership with the Belt and Road Hong Kong Centre.

Vice Premier Han Zhen of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China hopes that Hong Kong will strengthen cultural exchanges to promote people-to-people connectivity within the region. The humanitarian assistance and public health projects led by GX Foundation in Cambodia, which aim to improve the quality of life of local people and promote cultural integration between China and Cambodia, highlights the Foundation’s pioneering participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Donated over 20 metric tons of medical equipment to empower Cambodia’s anti-pandemic capacity 

Besides cataract blindness elimination, GX Foundation has worked with the Ministry of Health to address broader health needs of the Cambodian people.

In July 2021, GX Foundation handed over 20 metric tons of medical equipment to the Ministry of Health of Cambodia to empower its anti-pandemic capacity. The donation was made in response to an urgent request from the Cambodian government amid rising COVID-19 infections since April. “Until April this year, the government and people of Cambodia were very successful in keeping the COVID-19 pandemic at bay. The recent outbreak calls for emergency assistance from friends overseas”, Mr Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation, said during the handover ceremony. Although donation of relief supplies and equipment donation was not the original mission of the foundation, Leung said the organization made an exceptional decision to be a helping hand for the protection of healthcare staff and the clinical management of COVID-19 patients in Cambodia.

The donation included 300 oxygen concentrators, 1,000,000 surgical masks, 30,000 isolation gowns, 160,000 gloves, 10,000 safety goggles and 10,000 face shields. 

“The foundation hopes that these emergency relief materials will help alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on the health care workers, COVID-19 patients and communities across Cambodia,” Foundation CEO Professor Emily Ying Yang Chan said.

Launch vector-borne disease control project

Vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, malaria and Chikungunya fever are prevalent across Southeast Asian and African countries where the Foundation is conducting activities. In May 2022, GX Foundation returned to Cambodia to launch its vector-borne disease control project. Expert teams were invited to 4 hospitals and medical centres across Phnom Penh and Prey Veng to donate solar-powered mosquito lamps and conduct health education and capacity building on preventing and protecting individuals against vector-borne diseases. 

GX Foundation has worked with Hong Kong medical students interested in humanitarian and public health assistance projects, to undertake training placement across Belt and Road countries. In May 2022, two medical interns from the foundation completed an exchange programme at Prey Veng Hospital. This programme aims to broaden the horizons of students, to learn about healthcare systems and health needs in developing countries. 

Over the past four years, the Foundation has visited eight Southeast Asian and African countries and embarked on discussions on humanitarian aid projects with local health officials. Various projects were undertaken in three of these countries, including Laos, Cambodia and Djibouti.

Reporting:

Cambodgemag

C NEWS 柬新聞

Bastille Post 巴士的報

柬單網

The Cambodia China Times 柬中時報

Jian Hua Daily 柬華日報

HKCD 香港商報網

HK01

東盟頭條

CNC

Freshnews Asia

新華網

GX Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR officially launched the foundation’s “Cataract Blindness Elimination Project” today in Vientiane. Attended by Foundation Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Leung Chun-ying, His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister of Lao PDR Mr Sonexay Siphandone, and His Excellency Minister of Health Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, and witnessed by other officials,representatives of the 103 Military Hospital, and guests online. The ceremony marked the start of a 3-year project which aims to eliminate thousands of backlogged cases of cataract blindness across the country. 

GX Foundation signed an MOU with the Ministry of Health in 2019 for a five-year cooperation on this project, which provides cataract surgery free of charge to underprivileged elderly people in different areas of the country, starting with Vientiane. Surgery is conducted on board two Mobile Eye Treatment Centres (METC), which are fully equipped to perform cataract surgery on a patient in 20 minutes. A 10-person medical team from Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have arrived in Vientiane to provide their medical expertise. The group has previous experience with delivering cataract surgery on board METCs in Cambodia, working with The Belt and Road Hong Kong Centre. In June 2021, the foundation opened its first overseas field office in Vientiane.

GX Foundation Mr Leung Chun-ying said, “In the last two years, exchanges between the Chinese and Laotian people have been disrupted by the global pandemic. As the first non-governmental organisation to resume work in Laos after COVID-19, GX Foundation hopes to resume exchange between our people through the launch of the cataract blindness elimination project. This project brings about people-to-people connectivity and continues the friendship between China and Laos, taking steps towards synergistic development of our two countries.”

Vice Premier Han Zhen of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China hopes that Hong Kong will strengthen cultural exchanges to promote people-to-people connectivity within the region. The humanitarian assistance and public health projects led by GX Foundation in Cambodia, which aim to improve the quality of life of local people and promote cultural integration between China and Laos, highlights the Foundation’s pioneering participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Donated over 20 metric tons of medical equipment to empower Laotian anti-pandemic capacity 

Besides cataract blindness elimination, GX Foundation has worked with the Ministry of Health to address broader health needs of the Laotian people.

In June 2021, GX Foundation handed over 20 metric tons of medical equipment to Laos Deputy Prime MInister and Chairman of the National Taskforce for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, with hopes to empower the country’s anti-pandemic capacity. The donation was made as a gesture of friendship and solidarity between the Ministry and GX Foundation of Hong Kong. Although donation of relief supplies is not the original mission of the foundation, the organization made an exceptional decision to lend a helping hand to the protection of healthcare staff and clinical management of COVID-19 patients in Laos.

"We hope the situation can soon be contained so that we can resume our cataract project and serve out our mission, as well as consolidate the friendship between the people of our two countries." Said Mr Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation.

The donation included 60 patient monitors; 10 ventilators; 1,500,000 surgical masks; 30,000 surgical gowns; 160,000 gloves; 10,000 safety goggles; and 10,000 face shields.

After the ceremony, Leung also met with Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh who thanked the foundation as well as the Chinese people for providing the supplies.

Reporting:

廣西自治區人民醫院微信公眾號

CRI-FM93

ໂທລະພາບແຫ່ງຊາດລາວ ທຊລ 1

CRI-FM93

ປະຊາຊົນ

Lao National Radio

廣西自治區人民醫院微信公眾號

新華網

Two of GX's Mobile Eye Treatment Centre arrives in Laos in August 2022, the first to arrive at a project site. Following a brief hiatus as a result of the pandemic, GX will kickstart its Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Vientiane in September 2022, which aimed to eliminate nation-wide cataract backlog cases through expert Chinese medical teams from Guangxi Autonomous Region of China, in partnership with the national Ministry of Health.

GX team paid visit to board member China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC) office in Phnom Penh. During the visit, GX presented its global projects and potential activities in Cambodia. We look forward to a continued collaboration with CSCEC. Thank you CSCEC for their warm welcome and their generous support towards GX office space setup!

GX officially established its second overseas office in Cambodia. This office will coordinate, communicate, and oversee GX projects and field stations across the country. 

GX would like to thank its various field partners and GX’s board member China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC) for their generous support towards and throughout this process.

GX launched its vector-borne disease prevention and education programme at Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital and Pakseuang Health Centre. The community-level health centre is a small, recently established health centre, which covers 6 villages. The centre offers basic child and maternal services and treats minor conditions, including stomach-aches, headaches, and injuries. The majority of the elderly patients who seek care suffer from high blood pressure and cataract. We hope the donation of mosquito lamps and knowledge sharing will eliminate the numbers of vectors in clinics causing disease and discomfort to the patients and health workers.

GX project team, together with the Guangxi medical team and representatives of Ministry of Health and National Ophthalmology Centre visited the Luang Prabang Provincial Health Department and Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital. The visit served to better understand the field context, as GX hopes to set up a Cataract project site in the region.
The Eye Unit of Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital comprised 8 staff in total, including 3 eye experts. The unit receives around 100 cases per week, of which 70% are cataract, with the majority of patients from the city of Luang Prabang. Patients from rural areas tend to face difficulties in making their way to the hospital. 
We hope to continue our engagement with Luang Prabang, and sincerely thank the local team for the warm welcome and thank you Guangxi medical team for their participation!

The GX team and Guangxi medical experts visited 103 Military Hospital in Vientiane to discuss arrangements for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project and visit the METC parking site at the hospital. The 103 Military Hospital was selected as a pilot site for this project based on accessibility for patients and the availability of technical support to accommodate the fully equipped METC unit. 
Following a successful project in Vientiane, two GX METCs will travel to the Northern and Southern provinces of Lao PDR to work towards eliminating backlogged cases of cataract blindness in elderly populations.

GX launched its vector-borne disease prevention and education programme at Champasak Hospital and Phonsikai Health Centre. The health centre is a small community-level health centre in Champasak, run by 2 staff, which serves 7 villages within a surrounding area of 5 kilometres. The health centre comprises of a treatment room and admission room. While it also had space for a laboratory, the room remains unequipped and unused at the time. The centre provides important basic maternal and child care services, and consultation for simple conditions such as sore throat, stomach-ache, headache, to all ages. We hope the donation of mosquito lamps and knowledge sharing will eliminate the numbers of vectors in clinics causing disease and discomfort to the patients and health workers.

GX project team visited Champasak Hospital with Guangxi expert medical team to understand the local context and to assess the situation of medical and public health care in the province. Champasak has a population of 700,000, this hospital is the central hospital serving the 4 southern provinces and is also a training hub for local professionals. During the pandemic, this was the only hospital offering PCR for the whole southern region. The hospital has the facility to conduct cataract surgery, but a lot of support from NGOs is required. Dr. Zeng Siming, an expert ophthalmologist from Guangxi, examined the first GX patient in Champasak. We hope to continue our engagement with Champasak, and sincerely thank the local team for the warm welcome and thank you Guangxi medical team for their participation!

GX launched its vector-borne disease prevention and education programme at Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital and Hongxay Community Health Centre, located in central Laos. The health centre provides basic check up, vaccination and outreach services. Only basic level screening and eye drops are provided at the health centre, while the hospital accommodates patients who need surgery. In the rainy climate of the area, water leaking and stagnant water are persistent issues at the health centre.

We hope the donation of mosquito lamps and knowledge sharing will eliminate the numbers of vectors in clinics causing disease and discomfort to the patients and health workers.

Led by GX Foundation CEO Professor Emily Ying Yang Chan, GX project team visited Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital with Guangxi expert medical team to understand the local context and to assess the situation of medical and public health care in the province. Bolikhamxay was recommended by the national Ministry of Health as a potential site for the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. The hospital provides ophthalmic care, but service is limited and is facing reduced external financial support.

3 representatives from Guangxi medical team travelled from Guangxi to Laos in early May to support GX’s preparation work for the upcoming Cataract Blindness Elimination Project and explore the projec sites. We sincerely thank Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital for the warm welcome and thank you Guangxi medical team for their participation!

The first cohort of GX field trainees have undertaken a placement at Prey Veng Provincial Hospital with various internal medicine units. Two final year medical students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medicine Programme Global Physical-Leadership Scheme shadowed numerous units ranging from internal medicine, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, and infectious diseases to observe patient cases, hospital management, and gain first-hand experience in clinical care provision in the Cambodian context. GX will continue to build field training and exchange programmes for trainees interested in public health and humanitarian medicine across all GX project sites.

GX continues its 2022 vector-borne disease control programme, visiting the Prey Veng Provincial Hospital, Neak Loeung Hospital, and Bakong Health Centre to understand the local health care context, and conducting the vector-borne disease community education programme. The hospitals provides generalist, specialist and emergency care, while the health centre specialises in primary care, family planning, maternal and child health. The health structures are crucial points for contact with the community, and important channels for communication of public health information.

After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, GX team visited Prey Veng Provincial Hospital and its medical team to revisit the selected site for Cambodia's Cataract Blindness Elimination Programme and present project updates to the hospital chief and relevant units. Located 3 hours from Phnom Penh, the on-site ophthalmology unit does not have the capacity to conduct cataract surgery. The GX Mobile Eye Treatment Centre will be stationed at the hospital to provide necessary surgery to patients in the region, with the support of the Ministry of Health and expert medical teams from China's Guangxi Autonomous Region.

Reporting:

Huashang News

Jianhua Daily

GX programme team attended the National Workshop on 2030 In Sight Cambodia Policy Dialogue in Phnom Penh. The workshop is organised by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and brings together government and non-governmental partners across Cambodia who are working on eye health, to share experiences in eye care, and plan the operationalisation of the National Strategic Plan for Blindness Prevention and Control. GX attended the various workshops, exchanging knowledge on the elevation, integration and activation of all eye care provision in Cambodia.

GX launched its vector-borne disease prevention and education programme in Phnom Penh, at Samrong Health Centre. The health centre provides primary and community-level and obstetrics care, to residents of the surrounding area. With the support of students from the CUHK Faculty of Medicine GPS program, GX implemented the education programme. We hope the donation of mosquito lamps will benefit the clinic and patients in the area.

GX Foundation paid a courtesy visit to HE Prof Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, with GX Chairman joining online. GX and the MOH signed an agreement in 2019 to collaborate on a cataract blindness elimination project in Prey Veng province. The project aims to eliminate cataract cases for needy populations in the remote, rural areas of the province. With the support of the Minister, GX will also deliver co-benefit projects in the country, including vector-borne disease prevention and other areas. GX looks forward to continuing this fruitful relationship with the Ministry of Health.

Reporting:

Speakout

GX Foundation project team revisited the Lao PDR National Ophthalmology Centre representatives in Vientiane to prepare for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. The roles and responsibilities and overall project flow were rediscussed, plans for the coming weeks were made in the meeting.

GX looks forward to a successful partnership with the  National Ophthalmology Centre to eliminate the backlog of cataract blindness throughout the country.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease in the Republic of Djibouti, GX Foundation contributed to the medical needs of the country by donating 20,000 COVID-19 test kits, 10,000 Malaria test kits and 5,000 Dengue fever rapid test kits to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Djibouti. Furthermore, 5,000 COVID-19 test kits were handed over to the Shanxi Medical Team based in Djibouti, to facilitate their day to day work. Thank you Mr. Huang from China Merchants Foundation, our partner organization for facilitating the custom clearance and delivery of the anti-pandemic materials in Djibouti.

Reporting:

Speak Out HK

Ministere de la Santé de Djibouti Facebook

GX Foundation paid visit to the Ministry of Health of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to reaffirm our commitment on the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project.  In 2019, GX signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry to collaborate on the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project which aimed to eliminate nation-wide cataract backlog cases through expert Chinese medical teams from Guangxi province and 2 Mobile Eye Treatment Centres. The project has experienced some delays due to conflicting priorities brought on by COVID-19 pandemic, but the GX team in Lao have been working closely with the Ministry of Health to begin preparation work for the upcoming Cataract Blindness Elimination Project.

Through the provision of much-needed eye care to communities across the country and improving the health and livelihood of elderly people, GX aims to uphold the value of “people to people connectivity” under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation.

GX CEO Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan visited Hôpital d'enfants de Diamniadio in Dakar, Senegal, to understand the health system and hospital care context, as well as their medical operational experience during COVID-19. A number of specialties including ophthalmology are available at the hospital, which is partially supported by Chinese medical teams from Fujian. We sincerely thank the Hôpital d’Enfants de Diamniadoo  and Fujian medical team for the warm welcome!

Reporting:

Fujian Provincial Health Commission 

GX CEO, Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan met with deputy representative of UNICEF Senegal, Mr George Gonzales to discuss the organisation's projects in Senegal and understand the health successes and gaps in the country. The valuable information and support from UNICEF can allow GX to conduct further explore missions in the country. Thank you UNICEF Senegal for the generous welcome!

As a key visit during the Senegal mission, GX CEO, Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan met with the Director of Cabinet of the Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dr Alphonse Ousmane Thiaw to present GX projects worldwide and open a discussion on the possibility of collaboration with the Ministry in Senegal. We sincerely thank the Ministry of Health and Social Action for the hospitality, and look forward to more partnership opportunities.

CEO, Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan met with Mr. Xiao Han, Ambassador of the People's Republic of Chinese to the Republic of Senegal, to present GX mission, vision, and overseas projects. GX Chairman Leung Chun-ying joined online and opened a discussion on the possibility of providing medical and public health humanitarian assistance to the country. We sincerely thank the Chinese embassy in Senegal for the warm welcome!

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Senegal on Twitter

GX project team met with representative of Soochow University in Vientiane to re-establish connection and working partnership in various technical, academic, and research areas, including the translation of health promotional materials into Laotian, training Chinese medical teams in Laotian language and culture, as well as interns and volunteers recruitment in Laos. GX looks forward to continuing a meaningful partnership with Soochow University in Laos.

GX Foundation’s project team and local staff have recommenced work in the Laos field office since April 2022. Following a brief hiatus as a result of the pandemic, the GX team will be based in Lao for two months and begin preparation work for the upcoming Cataract Blindness Elimination Project, with the support of local and international partners. GX team is embedded within the local offices of board member China Construction and Communication Company, who are a keen supporter of the project in Lao. In 2019, GX signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry to collaborate on the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project which aimed to eliminate nation-wide cataract backlog cases through expert Chinese medical teams from Guangxi province and 2 Mobile Eye Treatment Centres.

GX visits Hôpital Mohamed V Meknes with Shanghai medical team to understand the local context and to assess the situation of medical and public health care in the country. Various specialities are available in the hospital, including traumatology, orthopaedics and general surgery. The hospital does not yet provide ophthalmological care.

The Shanghai medical team in Morocco consists of 74 members that split into 8 teams and in different regions across Morocco. We sincerely thank the Hôpital Mohamed V Meknes and Shanghai medical team for the warm welcome!

GX was pleased to meet with representatives of Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity in Morocco. The foundation was established and inaugurated by The King of Morocco Mohammed VI to undertake large-scale action against poverty and social inequalities by rallying individuals and community-based forces within a Moroccan social pact. One of its key projects is to deploy mobile medical teams to serve the needs of people in remote areas of Morocco. The teams are composed of different specialties, including eye health. GX CEO Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan shared about GX  overseas initiatives, medical humanitarian activities, and discussed opportunities for collaboration. We sincerely thank Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity for the hospitality, and look forward to engaging with partners in Morocco in the coming few years.

GX visited the Hôpital Dr Ahmed Absieh and the Centre Médicale Hospitalier d'Ali Sabieh in the South East of Djibouti. The clinics have capacity to provide tertiary level medical and surgical care, as well as long term patient stay. By location, Ali Sabieh serves a large refugee population, displaced from Somalia, Ethiopia, and other places. The region has diverse and complex health needs. An ophthalmology technician at the hospital provides routine cataract screenings and follow up for patients in the region, who are then referred to the capital for surgery. By location and accessibility, Ali Sabieh is an interesting satellite point for GX cataract and humanitarian health projects. GX will collaborate with the medical centres in this region to credit cataract patients at community level for the upcoming project.

The working team of GX Foundation visited Hopital General Peltier in Djibouti for Mobile Eye Treatment Centre(METC) set up planning for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Djibouti.
The Hopital General Peltier was selected as a pilot site based on accessibility for patients and the availability of technical support to accommodate the fully equipped METC unit. Two METCs will park at the Hopital General Peltier to work towards eliminating backlogged cases of cataract blindness in elderly populations.
GX also demonstrated the use of the global patient management information system to the local healthcare practitioners. Djibouti and GX teams will rediscuss to draw out the roles and responsibilities for data collection.

GX visited CMH Obock in Obock Region. It is accessible by road from Djibouti, or by boat across the gulf of Aden. It serves the population of Obock, as well as a very large refugee population from Eritrea, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Basic services, such as maternity, prenatal, vaccination, nutrition and laboratory are provided, as well as also more specialist services, including radiology, ophthalmology, some operations, and ambulances. However, there is only one ophthalmological technician available to perform screening, and patients have to be referred to Djibouti for surgery. This visit is vital to gulf a partnership for future patient recruitment into the cataract blindness elimination project in Djibouti.

GX visited 2 community health centres in Dikhil Region: CMH Dikhil and PS Galamo. Dikhil Region is a desert region located in south of Djibouti. Population is rural and speak in local dialect. Childhood vaccination, infections and maternity care are provided in the clinics and larger centre also provides radiology and surgical care. However, it lacks fundamental health needs such as medications and testing kits. This visit is vital to gulf a partnership for future patient recruitment into the cataract blindness elimination project in Djibouti.

GX visited 2 community health centres in Arta Region: Centre Médico-hospitalier d'Arta and Point de Santé de Damerjog. The clinics have the capacity to provide basic care, such as emergency, maternal and child health, nutrition and vaccination. Cataract cases are referred to hospitals in Djibouti City but this mountainous region is 2 hours away from the city. GX will collaborate with the clinics to recruit cataract patients at community level for the upcoming cataract blindness elimination project in Djibouti. This visit is vital to gulf a partnership for future patient recruitment in Djibouti.

GX visited 3 community health centres in Djibouti City: Balballa, Balballa 2, and Nassib. The visits are essential to build a partnership for future patient recruitment into the cataract blindness elimination project, and to understand the context of the local health system. Through discussion with the doctors and technicians at the health centres, GX also explored the health needs, include vector borne disease, shortage of testing capacity, and medicines in the community health centres. These health centres will be key collaborators in our upcoming projects.

Djibouti suffers from many vector borne diseases, such as dengue fever and malaria. Many of vector-borne diseases are preventable, through protective measures and environmental control of vectors such as mosquitos and flies. To address the mosquito and fly needs, GX has implemented a health education programme about prevention and use of mosquito lamps in 8 community-level clinics in Djibouti, across the north, south and central regions of the country. GX collaborated with health centres in Djibouti City, Arta Region, Dikhil Region and Obock Region, to provide health education and donate solar-powered mosquito lamps to eliminate the numbers of vectors in clinics causing disease and discomfort to the patients and health workers.

GX meets with Shanxi medical teams in Djibouti to provide encouragement, and understand their living and working conditions in the country. To show our support to their selfless contribution during the pandemic, GX donated 5,000 COVID rapid test kits to the team. This team, consisting of experts from a variety of disciplines, will remain in Djibouti for one month to support the medical needs in the country. GX has also recruited expert medical personnel from Shanxi Province to provide quality cataract surgical services to to local populations in Djibouti. 

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease in the Republic of Djibouti, GX Foundation contributed to the medical needs of the country by donating 20,000 COVID-19 test kits, 10,000 Malaria test kits and 5,000 Dengue fever rapid test kits. In a time where Djibouti is facing nation-wide stock out of Dengue fever rapid tests, this donation will help to ensure that effective care can be provided to patients, medical staff, and the general community. An official ceremony was held at the Minister of Health in Djibouti, attended by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Djibouti, Dr. Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh; the Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Hu Bing; the CEO of GX, Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan. The Chairman of GX Foundation, Mr. Leung Chun-ying as well as other donors, partners and guests attended the ceremony online.

GX Foundation and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Djibouti signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2019, entering into a partnership to eliminate the backlog of cataract-blind patients in the country. Two Mobile Eye Treatment Centres have been manufactured and are ready to serve their purpose. Medical experts from Shanxi Province in China have also been recruited and trained to undertake this project to serve the people of Djibouti.

Reporting:

Radio Télévision Djibouti (video) 

Radio Télévision Djibouti (article) 

Professor Emily Ying Yang Chan, CEO of GX and Director of the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), was invited to give a talk at the Seminar on Air Quality and Health organised by MAP-AQ Asian Office Shanghai and IRDR ICoE-RIG-WECEIPHE at Fudan University.

Professor Chan presented the findings of her team's research on climate change and public health in Hong Kong over the past 10 years. By utilising the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM) framework and WHO classification of hazards, her team systematically examined impacts of hot and cold seasons and air pollutants on mortality, including respiratory and cardiovascular mortality, and hospital admissions, including asthma and mental disorder admissions. Health-EDRM along the Belt and Road Region is one of the priority work areas of GX Foundation.

GX and research partners have published a review on the evidence for primary prevention against waterborne diseases, which are some of the most enduring and economically devastating biological hazards in the world. This is the third review in a series looking at Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in low-income countries. This review identified 8 main interventions and their strength of evidence, the enabling factors, barriers, co-benefits, and alternative measures. It was found that there is strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of water treatment and safe household water storage, and interventions were effective when applied together by individuals and households. Multi-sectoral governance is required to mitigate against waterborne diseases, such as building sanitation infrastructure and streamlined waste management. The research identified gaps relating to evidence-based alternative interventions for resource-poor settings, and showed variations in defining interventions across research institutions, creating challenges in the direct comparison of results across studies. This research will lead to potential project improvement and development across GX partner countries. 

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20 tonnes of COVID-19 medical emergency relief equipment from GX Foundation, a Chinese medical humanitarian organisation based in Hong Kong, arrived in Phnom Penh on 7th July, 2021. An official handover ceremony was held online, attended by the Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Prof. Mam Bunheng; the Chairman of GX Foundation, Mr. Leung Chun-ying; the Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Wang Wentian; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Business Association of Cambodia, Mr. Oknha Yum Sui Sang, as well as other donors, partners and guests. 

Relief supplies and equipment donation is not the primary mission of GX Foundation, however, GX responded to a request for emergency relief from the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in the spirit of international collaboration and with belief in the impact of humanitarian action. GX hopes that these emergency relief materials will help alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on health care workers, COVID-19 patients and communities across Cambodia.

Although succeeding in keeping cases of COVID-19 close to zero throughout 2020, Cambodia faced a wave of outbreak of COVID-19 in April 2021. As cases continue to climb, the Cambodian government is short of medical equipment and supplies needed in order to contain the rapid infections, protect frontline medical personnel, and aid patients towards recovery in the absence of adequate treatment. GX Foundation today handed over 300 oxygen concentrators, 1,000,000 surgical masks, 30,000 isolation gowns, 160,000 gloves, 10,000 safety goggles and 10,000 face shields.

GX Foundation and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2019, entering into a 3-year partnership to eliminate the backlog of cataract-blind patients in Prey Veng Province. Two Mobile Eye Treatment Centres have been manufactured and are ready to serve their purpose when the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Cambodia is under control. Medical experts from Guangxi Autonomous Region in China have also been recruited and trained to undertake this project to serve the people of Cambodia.

Reporting:

China Daily

China Daily

Khmer Times

The Phnom Penh Post

Speakout

Cambodge Mag

The Embassy of the PRC to the Kingdom of Cambodia

The working team of GX Foundation, along with a technical consultant from The Asian Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness (AFPB), visited 103 Military Hospital in Vientiane for METC set up planning for the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Lao PDR.

The 103 Military Hospital was selected as a pilot site based on accessibility for patients and the availability of technical support to accommodate the fully equipped METC unit. 

Following project commencement in Vientiane, the 2 GX METCs will travel to the Northern and Southern provinces of Lao PDR to work towards eliminating backlogged cases of cataract blindness in elderly populations.

GX Foundation’s project team hosted a training session for core members of the Lao PDR National Ophthalmology Centre and the 103 Military Hospital in Vientiane on the Global GX Patient Management Information System. Doctors, nurses, and IT staff attended this training session and provided valuable feedback on user experience, software adaptability, and applicability across countrywide project sites in Lao PDR.

This multilingual software will be used across global GX project sites to facilitate progress tracking, clinical quality monitoring, patient safety assurance information, and project evaluation.

Led by GX Foundation CEO, Professor Emily Ying Yang Chan, key members of the GX team met with the Vice President of Soochow University, Professor Huang Xing, and university representatives in Vientiane. Discussions were held regarding technical and academic partnerships in various projects and research areas.  GX and Soochow University in Lao PDR aim to form bilateral partnerships in language, culture, and immersive public health and medical field trainings.  

GX looks forward to a meaningful partnership with Soochow University in Lao PDR.

On 6th June, GX officially established its first overseas office in Vientiane. This office will coordinate, communicate, and oversee GX projects and field stations across the country. 

GX would like to thank its various field partners for their generous support towards and throughout this process.

The GX delegation met with leaders and representatives of Chinese businesses in Lao PDR. Attendees came from a range of sectors including education, construction, infrastructure, finance, telecommunications, culture and services. GX Chairman, Mr. Leung Chun-ying provided an overview of GX Foundation's Cataract Blindness Elimination Project from 2021-2024, aiming to eliminate country-wide backlog cases of cataract across Lao PDR.

The GX forum also presented an opportunity for participants to learn about the activities of local Chinese businesses in Lao PDR. GX’s business partners are encouraged to actively participate and contribute to GX bottom-up medical and public health humanitarian efforts and activities in the coming years.

Led by GX CEO, Professor Emily Ying Yang Chan, GX Foundation met with the current Director of the National Ophthalmology Centre (NOC), Dr. Khamkhoune Holanouphap and the previous Director, Dr. Khamphoua Southisombath in Vientiane, as well as the working team responsible for the provision and management of eye care in the area and the head of ophthalmology of 103 Military Hospital, to present the Foundation’s Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Lao PDR, the project needs, the revised timeline due to COVID-19, and the collective objectives. 

The NOC is the lead technical focal point for the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project across the country, which will launch in Vientiane in 2021.

GX looks forward to a successful partnership with the NOC to eliminate the backlog of cataract blindness throughout the country.

GX held a press conference in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 4th June 2021. The event was attended by representatives of the main Laotian press and online media. GX Chairman, Mr. Leung Chun-ying and GX CEO, Prof. Emily Ying Yang Chan shared the latest updates on the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project and the recent GX COVID-19 emergency relief donation program in Vientiane.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and in partnership with expert Chinese medical teams from Guangxi Province, China, GX aims to eliminate the backlog cases of cataract blindness nation-wide on board two advanced equipped Mobile Eye Treatment Centres. The project will begin in the third quarter of 2021 in Vientiane. Other target project locations include Champasak and Luangprabang provinces.  

During the press conference, Mobile Eye Treatment Centre models and samples of materials donated as part of the emergency relief, such as surgical masks, gloves, goggles and face shields, were exhibited. 

GX is committed to providing continued humanitarian medical support to partner countries, to uphold the value of “people to people connectivity” under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation.

A GX delegation, led by GX Chairman, Mr. Leung Chun-ying met with the new Minister of Health of Lao PDR, Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane. In addition to the GX emergency relief donation handover process, the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project plan (2021-2024) was discussed with the new Minister. 

In 2019, GX signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry to collaborate on the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project which aimed to eliminate nation-wide cataract backlog cases through expert Chinese medical teams and 2 Mobile Eye Treatment Centres. The project has experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but GX and the Ministry of Health reaffirmed their commitment to deliver patient-centred ophthalmic care to sites across Lao PDR, starting in Vientiane in 2021. 

Through the provision of much-needed eye care to communities across the country and improving the health and livelihood of elderly people, GX aims to uphold the value of “people to people connectivity” under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation.

GX Foundation donated 20 tonnes of emergency relief to Lao PDR on 4th June 2021.

The official donation was received by the Deputy Prime Minister of Lao PDR and Chairman of the National Taskforce for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Kikeo Khaykhamphitoune from the Chairman of GX Foundation, Mr. Leung Chun-ying in the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Vientiane. 

Under restricted attendance and social distancing measures, the event was witnessed by representatives of the Lao PDR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lao PDR Ministry of Health, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Lao PDR including Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, and GX Foundation. Following the event, GX Chairman, Mr. Leung Chun-ying also met with Lao PDR Prime Minister, Phankham Viphavanh, who thanked GX for the generous donation.

GX is committed to providing continued humanitarian medical support to partner countries, to uphold the value of “people to people connectivity” under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation. This donation was an urgent response to a request made by the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR to GX Foundation, under the context of the March 2021 COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The equipment donated by GX includes 60 patient monitors; 10 ventilators; 1,500,000 surgical masks; 30,000 surgical gowns; 160,000 gloves; 10,000 safety goggles; and 10,000 face shields. 

Reporting:

LNTV English News Report

Hong Kong China News Agency

South China Morning Post

China News

Vientiane Times

The Star

Media Laos

Speakout

城市追擊傳媒

With the support of the Ministry of Health, on 3rd June, GX Foundation’s working team visited the Medical Logistics Centre, to witness and confirm the arrival of cargo and inspect the quality of the materials donated by GX to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.

As an urgent response to a request made by the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR, GX sent a total metric weight of 20 tonnes of emergency medical equipment to Vientiane, including 60 patient monitors; 10 ventilators; 1,500,000 surgical masks; 30,000 surgical gowns; 160,000 gloves; 10,000 safety goggles; and 10,000 face shields, arriving in four cargo flights between 21st May to 2nd June.

GX continues to work with the Ministry of Health in the fight against the April 2021 outbreak of COVID-19.

As part of its Health-Emergency and Disaster Risk Management programmatic area, together with academic partners, GX Foundation published a commentary on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on disaster risk reduction strategies, especially for biological hazards. Key lessons learned include the need for advancement in multi-sectoral, multi-hazard action plans; issues associated with the application of technology in data collection, utilisation, and dissemination; protection and promotion of the health and wellbeing of essential and nonprofessional workers; and improving inclusivity of digital literacy in emergency contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity to re-evaluate the response mechanisms against concurrent, cascading or interacting risks of future biological hazards. Continuous education on multifaceted risk governance is key to building awareness, capacity and accelerating towards achieving international targets.

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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of non-pharmaceutical measures in the response to novel biological hazards. Using the WHO health emergency and disaster risk management (health-EDRM) framework, this review summarised the limiting and enabling factors for 10 behavioural primary prevention measures against droplet-borne communicable diseases. The review identified evidence-guided behavioural measures against transmission within at-risk communities, which included regular handwashing; wearing face masks; and avoidance of crowds and gatherings. Within these, strength of evidence towards effectiveness and implementation feasibility varied. Overall, however, evidence-based systematic behavioural studies for COVID-19-specific prevention, which would facilitate a pandemic response, are limited. The global public health community urgently needs further research with strong implementation feasibility, targeting resource-poor settings with low baseline health-EDRM capacity.

Link To Full Text

Climate change is expanding the global at-risk population for vector-borne diseases (VBDs). The World Health Organization (WHO) health emergency and disaster risk management (health-EDRM) framework emphasises the importance of primary prevention of biological hazards and its value in protecting against VBDs, encouraging stakeholder coordination and information sharing. This review identified 10 primary preventions and their strengths and weaknesses. It was found that current studies on primary prevention measures for VBDs focus on health risk-reduction, with minimal evaluation of actual disease reduction. Although prevention against mosquito-borne diseases, notably malaria, has been well-studied, research on other vectors and VBDs remains limited. Other gaps included the limited evidence pertaining to prevention in resource-poor settings and the efficacy of alternatives, discrepancies amongst agencies’ recommendations, and limited studies on the impact of technological advancements and habitat change on VBD prevalence. There is a continued need for high-priority research into primary prevention of VBDs, to facilitate multifaceted, multi-sectoral, coordinated responses that will enable effective risk mitigation.

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Professor Emily Chan, CEO of GX and Assistant Dean and Head of Division of Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine, was invited by the WHO and the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) to participate at an expert meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from 11-12 February 2020 to set the global research agenda for the 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Professor Chan co-chaired two sub-sessions on the state of the art and global research agenda-setting for social sciences in outbreak response, one of the nine thematic areas of the forum.

The meeting was a forum for the 400+ scientists and researchers to discuss the research roadmap. The overall objectives of the meeting were (1) enabling the joint identification of the main knowledge gaps and research priorities; (2) fostering an acceleration of the generation of scientific information; and (3) promoting the development and generation of priority medical countermeasures to control the COVID-19 emergency, through an effective collaborative approach.

Three research priorities were identified regarding the role of social sciences in outbreak response, relating to (1) public health, (2) clinical/health systems and (3) media communication. Specific research questions include:

-          What are relevant, feasible, effective approaches to promote acceptance, uptake, and adherence to public health measures for COVID-19 prevention and control, and how can secondary impacts be rapidly identified and mitigated – e.g. use of surgical masks, school closures, access to services, sexual and reproductive health needs?

-          What are the relevant, acceptable and feasible approaches for supporting the physical health and psychosocial needs of those providing care for COVID-19 patients?

-          What are the most effective ways to address the underlying drivers of fear, anxieties, rumours, stigma regarding COVID-19, and how to improve public knowledge, awareness, and trust during the response?

On 8-9 December 2019, GX Foundation visited Bujumbura, Burundi to explore unmet needs and potential project sites in the country, and meet with local health authorities, hospitals and other health partners. In particular, the GX team wanted to understand Burundi's capacity and needs in the area of eye health. GX Foundation met with the Minister of Public Health and Fight Against AIDS, Minister Thaddée Ndikumana; visited the Hôpital Prince Régent Charles, a national-level referral hospital that is currently supported by a medical team from Qinghai Province, China; and met with the World Health Organization Representative in Burundi.

On 6th December 2019, GX signed a Letter of Intent with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kenya to develop a Cataract Blindness Elimination Project that will eliminate backlog cases of cataract blindness in a county. The Letter of Intent was signed by Mrs. Sicily Kanini Kariuki, Cabinet Secretary of Health and Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX.

Reporting:

NGOs Coordination Board, Republic of Kenya

Former Cabinet Secretary for Health, Republic of Kenya

On 5th December 2019, GX entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health of the Republic Djibouti to formally launch the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Djibouti. The MOU was signed by Dr. Saleh Banoita Tourab, Secretary General of the national Ministry of Health, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX, and witnessed by Ambassador Zhuo Ruisheng of China.

Reporting:

China Merchants Group Limited

Ministere de la Santé de Djibouti

Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale

In October 2019, GX was invited to attend the Cambodia National Workshop on Dissemination of the Results of the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness 2019 and Report on the Review of National Strategic Plan for Blindness Prevention and Control 2018-2020.

The event was attended by national eye health workers at all levels, as well as local and international NGOs implementing eye health programmes in the country. The workshop was an opportunity for experts and front-line workers to share key data, policy updates and lessons learned from successful eye-health programme implementation.

GX was formally introduced as a new partner of Cambodia. At the workshop, GX shared information about its upcoming Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Prey Veng Province.

On 8th October 2019, GX  entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia for the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Prey Veng Province. GX will eliminate the backlog cases of cataract blindness in the province by deploying Mobile Eye Treatment Centres (METCs) supported by medical teams from China. The MOU was signed by Minister of Health Prof. Mam Bunheng, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX, and witnessed by Ambassador Wang Wentian of China. GX also entered into a MOU with the Hong Kong Business Association of Cambodia (HKBAC), represented by Chairman Mr. Oknha Yum Sui Sang, for their support towards the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project in Prey Veng Province. The Ministry of Health will identify and recruit patients, while HKBAC will provide logistical and administrative support.

Reporting:

Xinhua Net

The Cambodia Daily

Khmer Times

The Phnom Penh Post

Find Your News

中国书法网

中國新聞網

On 25th September 2019, GX entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for the GX Cataract Blindness Elimination Project.  The MOU was signed by the Minister of Health Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bounkong Syhavong, Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX, and witnessed by Ambassador Jiang Zhaidong of China. GX also entered into a MOU with the Laos (Chinese) Chamber of Commerce represented by Chairman Mr. Yao Bin, for their support towards the Cataract Blindness Elimination Project. The Ministry of Health will identify and recruit patients, while the Chamber of Commerce will provide logistical and administrative support.