BUJUMBURA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 300 cataract patients will receive free surgery from Chinese ophthalmologists in collaboration with their Burundian counterparts, officials announced Tuesday at the official launch of the "Walk Towards Light" campaign held in the Burundian commercial capital Bujumbura.

During the 21-day campaign, 100 of the 300 cataract patients will be treated at the Bonne Action Lacan Center and 200 at Prince Regent Charles Hospital, both located in Bujumbura.

Oscar Ntihabose, acting permanent secretary at the Burundian Ministry of Public Health, expressed his gratitude to China for its unwavering support of the health sector in Burundi.

"This campaign is a concrete example of the excellent relations of friendship, cooperation, and fraternity that have united our two countries for many years," he said.

This "Walk Towards Light" project demonstrates the shared commitment of both countries to further strengthen cooperation in the health sector and to provide concrete solutions to people's needs, Ntihabose noted.

"For many of our fellow citizens, cataract remains a silent suffering that deprives people, and often entire individuals, of their dignity and their right to live," said Liliane Nkengurutse, executive secretary of the Office of the First Lady for the Development of Burundi.

Nkengurutse added that Sino-Burundian cooperation is a testament to a sincere friendship and a shared commitment to promoting the well-being of the people.

Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Zhu Kewei said that this is the third time this project has been organized in Burundi.

"During the two previous missions, more than 400 Burundian patients regained their sight thanks to free surgical operations, making this initiative a flagship action of Sino-Burundian health cooperation," she said.

Since 1987, China has sent more than five hundred medical team members to Burundi. ■