China Initiates 2016 "Guangmingxing" Project in Sudan Offering Free Cataract Surgeries

On August 15, 2016, the launching ceremony of the “Guangmingxing” project was held at the Eye Hospital of Nile College ("双尼罗河大学" translation uncertain) in Khartoum. Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Li Lianhe and Assistant President of Sudan, Vice Chairman of the Development Relations Committee, Health Minister, Dean of the Nile College Eye Hospital, China’s aid medical team and local people attended the event. The value of the technical assistance is unknown. The "Guangmingxing" project is a measure launched by the Chinese government to actualize the agreements reached at the Sino-African Cooperation Forum in Johannesburg. Ophthalmologists from the First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, worked in Sudan for 90 days. The closing ceremony for the project was held on October 24, 2016 at the University of Nile. In November 2016, it was reported that the collaboration between the Chinese Embassy and the Sudanese Health Ministry had resulted in 1,041 cataract surgeries, where all patients had regained their eyesight. It appears that these surgeries were also in collaboration with the Sanad Charity Foundation, a Sudanese NGO. This indicates that the operation surpassed its goal of 1,000 total surgeries (which would have averaged 30 operations a day). The visiting team included 50 ophthalmologists, surgeons, surgery assistants and medical technicians. With the help of this program, Sudan plans to reduce its rate of blindness by 0.3% by 2020, an initiative launched in 2005.

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