2023-03-02

Chairman of the GX Foundation awarded The Independence Day Medal (Knight) (La médaille d'Officier de l'Ordre National du 27 Juin) by the Djibouti Government in recognition of his contribution to Djibouti's medical and public health fields

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.