All cases of cataracts have been eliminated in the province of Prey Veng in Cambodia, and a ‘Health protection against dengue fever’ project will shortly be set up in the province of Kampong Speu.
The GX Foundation's “Project to eliminate blindness due to cataracts” in the Cambodian province of Prey Veng was successfully completed in June this year. Eight medical teams from Guangxi carried out almost 3,900 free cataract operations. This is the Foundation's very first project aimed at eliminating the backlog of cataract cases.
A celebration ceremony marking the end of the project was held on 29 July 2024 at the Rosewood in Phnom Penh. Under the aegis of the President of the GX Foundation, LEUNG Chun-ying, the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service, H.E. HUN Many, the new Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. WANG Wenbin and the Cambodian Minister of Health, H.E. Chheang Ra, the President and CEO of the GX Foundation, Professor CHAN Ying Yang and Professor Mey Sambo, the Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia, signed a memorandum of understanding on the “Protection of health against dengue fever” project in the province of Kampong Speu, and also explored the possibility of carrying out the “Project for the elimination of blindness due to cataracts” in a new province.
The project in Prey Veng province has therefore been successfully completed, becoming the first region in the world to succeed in eliminating the existing backlog of cataract cases. Since the project was launched in the Cambodian province of Prey Veng in December 2022, the Health Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has sent eight medical teams from Guangxi to examine the eyes of 5,368 patients. They performed 3,891 free cataract operations (with a 100% success rate). As well as performing free surgery on hospitalised patients, Foundation staff also visited 13 districts in Prey Veng province. During these visits, the teams offered free consultations and screening to more than 2,600 patients who were unable to get to hospital. During this period, training was also given to 50 medical staff from local health centres.
On 29 July, at this celebration of the completion of the cataract project in Prey Veng province and the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the dengue protection project in Kampong Speu province, the Foundation's President, LEUNG Chun-ying, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Cambodia, the Chinese Embassy, the donors and the local and expatriate Chinese for their support and cooperation, which had enabled the project to be completed successfully. He also emphasised:
“The signing of the memorandum of understanding on the dengue protection project marks the expansion of cooperation between the GX Foundation and Cambodia, and we thus hope to continue developing medical projects in the Kingdom in order to promote ties between the two nations.”
H.E. WANG Wenbin, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, said:
“The GX Foundation has been actively involved in the fight against COVID-19 in Cambodia and has carried out cataract operations. These actions bring light and hope to patients and their families; they also improve the health and well-being of the Cambodian people. The GX Foundation is to be commended for its positive contribution to promoting friendly cooperation, which strengthens the bonds of friendship between our two countries”.
Finally, the Minister for the Civil Service, H.E. HUN Many, made a point of highlighting the remarkable efforts of the GX Foundation in the province of Prey Veng and took time to exchange a few words with the patients who had benefited from the care offered by the NGO and who were present at the ceremony.
Launch of a new project in Kampong Speu province to prevent and control dengue fever
The Foundation has always enjoyed a close relationship with the Cambodian Ministry of Health. In addition to the project to eliminate blindness, the possibility of launching the ‘Health protection against dengue fever’ project was raised in January this year and the project has received strong local support. In the first half of this year, the cumulative number of cases of dengue fever in Cambodia exceeded 7,000, 10% more than during the same period last year.
After visiting several provinces in Cambodia, the Foundation's team decided to launch the Kampong Speu project and donated large quantities of anti-mosquito equipment to the Cambodian Ministry of Health, including mosquito lamps, adhesive tape, mosquito nets and rapid test kits. By taking multi-pronged measures ranging from early diagnosis, prevention, protection and education, the Foundation's doctors are aiming to control the risk of a dengue epidemic by effective means.
Since the start of the year, the Foundation has launched a similar project in East Timor, Honduras, on the China-Laos railway and in the residence of Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympic Games. In particular, anti-mosquito lamps donated by the Foundation have been installed in the 24 stations along the China-Laos railway.
The project in East Timor has achieved remarkable results: cases of infection in the first half of the year fell by 10% compared with the same period in 2023, especially a 46% drop in the capital Dili. These excellent results have earned the congratulations of the President and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, the Archbishop and representatives of the World Health Organisation.
About the GX Foundation
The GX Foundation is a Chinese charity and non-profit organisation established in Hong Kong, in 2018. The Foundation is committed to providing humanitarian aid in the medical and public health sector in Road and Belt Initiative countries. The aim is to achieve ‘connectivity between peoples’.
The Foundation provides free cataract surgery in Laos, Cambodia, Djibouti, Senegal and Mauritania, with the aim of completely eliminating blindness caused by cataracts. The Foundation is currently actively involved in projects to prevent and control vector-borne diseases. Project countries include East Timor, Honduras, Djibouti, the China-Laos railway and the Paris Olympics.
The Foundation's responsibilities also include managing emergency health risks in the event of a disaster, conducting international cooperation and transferring knowledge to communities.
Web site: https://gxfoundation.hk/home
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