Officials gather for a photo at the closing ceremony on Friday (May 9).

GX Foundation successfully conducts Cataract Blindness Elimination Programme in Laos

The GX Foundation has successfully completed its six-year Cataract Blindness Elimination Programme in Laos, marking a major milestone in the organisation’s global healthcare efforts.
The initiative, launched in 2019, facilitated nearly 5,800 free cataract surgeries nationwide, significantly reducing preventable blindness and enhancing the lives of thousands.

The Lao Minister of Health, Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith (left), presents a certificate of congratulation to the Chairman of the GX Foundation, Mr Leung Chun-ying (right), at a closing ceremony.

This achievement marks GX’s third fully completed programme, following earlier successes in Prey Veng Province of Cambodia and the Fatick region of Senegal.
A ceremony held in Vientiane on Friday celebrated the project’s conclusion, during which GX and the Lao Ministry of Health jointly announced the elimination of backlog cataract cases in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Champassak.
Since September 2022, GX – in collaboration with the Health Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region – deployed 10 cohorts of medical teams comprising 73 professionals across 84 missions.
These teams screened more than 6,500 individuals and performed 5,768 free cataract surgeries, meeting the programme’s ambitious target.
At the ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the GX Foundation, Mr Leung Chun-ying, praised the initiative as “a journey of shared commitment and friendship”, uniting Chinese and Lao partners across three regions and six years.
He noted that Laos is the first country where GX has fully achieved its objective of clearing the backlog of cataract-induced blindness.
The event was also attended by the Chief Executive Officer of GX, Professor Emily Chan Ying-ying, and senior officials from the Lao government and the Ministry of Health.
Following the event, Mr Leung met the Deputy Prime Minister of Laos, Dr Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, to discuss prospects for future cooperation. Both parties expressed a strong commitment to expanding collaboration in healthcare and public health, building on the programme’s success to strengthen the China-Laos community with a shared future.
The programme has been warmly received by local communities and recognised as a meaningful contribution to advancing public health outcomes in Laos.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update May 12, 2025)