A program to improve vision health in Laos and Cambodia has received additional financial support, a fresh boost to the initiative which is expected to provide at least 1,500 free cataract surgeries in both countries.

The donation, made by the Hongkong Bank Foundation, will support the operation of the "cataract blindness elimination program" led by the GX Foundation in Laos and Cambodia over the next two years, and sponsor students from Hong Kong to participate in internships in these project countries, fostering international collaboration and offering Hong Kong youth valuable learning opportunities.

GX Foundation is a Chinese medical humanitarian aid charitable organization established in Hong Kong in 2018. It aims to provide medical and public health humanitarian assistance in the Belt and Road countries, embodying the spirit of "people-to-people" connectivity.

Leung Chun-ying, chairman of GX Foundation, said that the generous donation will be put to good use. "We hope to receive support from different enterprises and community sectors, together we shall spread the kindness of Chinese people to the entire world," he said.

Peter Wong, chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and the Hongkong Bank Foundation, said that through supporting the cataract blindness elimination program, the Hongkong Bank Foundation aims to nurture sustainable enhancements in people's quality of life and create a brighter future of the underprivileged.

"Furthermore, our goal is to equip students with vital resources to create significant changes in our community and beyond. We believe this program will inspire them to contribute more to society," Wong said.

Under the cataract blindness elimination program, over 14,000 free surgeries globally have been completed, among which more than 7,800 were conducted in Laos nationwide and Prey Veng province in Cambodia, bringing light and hope to local patients.

The GX Foundation said that it will continue its work in a new province in Cambodia as well as the existing project in Pakse, Laos, to help restore sight for more people in need.