SCO Launches Kind-Hearted Journey Project for Heart Defects

Beijing (GNP): Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Nurlan Yermekbayev, took part in the launch ceremony of the Kind-Hearted Journey project on August 14, 2026, at the National Conference Center in Beijing, and attended an accompanying exhibition of medical equipment and technologies aimed at treating children with congenital heart defects.

The project stems from an initiative announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Tianjin SCO Summit on September 1, 2025. Under the programme, free high-tech medical assistance will be provided over a period of five years to 500 children with congenital heart defects from SCO member states.

The initiative relies on mobile medical units designed to enable prompt on-site examination and treatment, including in remote areas where access to specialised cardiac care is otherwise limited.

At the accompanying exhibition, Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases presented the medical complexes, treatment methods, and digital technologies that will support the project’s implementation.

These displays gave attending officials and diplomats a direct look at the equipment intended to bring specialised paediatric cardiac care closer to underserved communities across the SCO region.

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The launching ceremony drew a range of senior officials and diplomatic representatives, reflecting the project’s standing as a joint healthcare initiative among SCO member states.

Attendees included Zheng Zhe, Deputy Chairman of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and Cui Li, Deputy Chairman of the Chinese SCO Committee for Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

Ambassador of Tajikistan Zohir Ozod Saidzoda and Ambassador of Uzbekistan Farhod Arziev were also present, alongside representatives of diplomatic missions from other SCO member states and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his remarks, Yermekbayev underlined the humanitarian significance of the Kind-Hearted Journey project, describing it as a practical expression of cooperation in the healthcare field and a clear embodiment of the values associated with the Shanghai Spirit.

He expressed appreciation to the organisations and specialists involved in bringing the project to fruition and voiced confidence that the initiative would contribute meaningfully to the exchange of best practices among SCO member states, while deepening professional interaction between medical institutions and strengthening ties of friendship and mutual understanding across the region.