Jiu Jiu Wei Gong, Walking with Love: The 4th Global Multi-Center Remote Collaborative Uterus-Preserving Surgery Public Welfare Initiative Successfully Held

On March 7, under the guidance of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Therapeutics and the Chongqing Charity Federation, the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering and the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine jointly collaborated with HIFU centers at 185 hospitals worldwide.^®Micro-Invasive and Non-Invasive Treatment Center Hosted the 4th Global Multicenter Remote Collaborative Uterus-Preserving Surgery Public Welfare Campaign (hereinafter referred to as the “Public Welfare Campaign”) in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. Themed “Long-Term Uterine Protection, Walking with Love,” the campaign aimed to address uterine diseases in women worldwide by providing free assistance and fee reductions, leveraging China’s original non-invasive focused ultrasound ablation technology.

At the event, the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine and the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering joined hands with the Chongqing Charity Federation to jointly launch the “Jiujiu Weigong” public welfare project. Meanwhile, medical personnel who demonstrated outstanding performance in science popularization within the field of micro-invasive and non-invasive therapies in 2022 were awarded the title of “2022 Science Popularization Expert in Focused Ultrasound” by the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering and received commendations.

 Wang Zhibiao, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering and the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine

Wang Zhibiao, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering and the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizer. Wang stated that focused ultrasound ablation technology belongs to all humanity; it not only treats diseases but, more importantly, preserves organs. He emphasized that physicians should not only master advanced technologies but also embrace the philosophy of minimal or non-invasiveness, employing treatment methods that cause less harm to the human body.

 David Cranston, Professor at the University of Oxford and President of the International Society for Focused Ultrasound Surgery

David Cranston, Professor at the University of Oxford and President of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Therapies (ISMINT), delivered an online address. He stated that, based on treatment data collected by ISMINT from 270 HIFU centers worldwide, uterine fibroids accounted for 70–80% of the total treatments performed between 2010 and 2022, highlighting that focused ultrasound ablation technology has made outstanding contributions to promoting uterine health among women globally.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Honorary Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Lang Jinghe

Professor Lang Jinghe, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Honorary Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, provided the calligraphy for this public welfare campaign: “Caring for Women, Protecting the Uterus.” In his address, Academician Lang stated that surgical interventions are not better simply because they are more extensive or complex; rather, the goal is to perform fewer surgeries, or even avoid surgery altogether. Non-invasive focused ultrasound ablation has become a hallmark, showcasing Chinese manufacturing, Chinese brands, Chinese technology, and Chinese clinical guidelines to the world.

 Jiang Daquan, Second-Level Inspector of the Publicity Department of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China

Jiang Daquan, a Level-II Inspector at the Publicity Department of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, stated that public welfare and charitable undertakings are an important hallmark of social civilization. The year 2023 marks the inaugural year for comprehensively implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the starting year for building a modern socialist new Chongqing in the new era and on the new journey, and also a “major year” for the creation of spiritual civilization. He expressed the hope that all parties will work together with one heart to implement public welfare projects effectively and substantively, thereby ensuring that women in difficult circumstances truly benefit.

 Kuang Youzhi, Vice President of the Chongqing Charity Federation

Kuang Youzhi, Vice President of the Chongqing Charity Federation, highly commended the charitable deeds and righteous actions of the caring organizations. He stated that the Federation would strictly adhere to relevant laws and regulations, exert sustained efforts over the long term, ensure the proper use of donated funds, provide targeted assistance, and deliver this care to every beneficiary.

 “Jiujiu Weigong” Public Welfare Project Launch Ceremony

At the event, the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering, the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine, the Publicity Department of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Chongqing Charity Federation, the Chongqing Women and Children’s Foundation, hospital representatives, and other stakeholders jointly launched the “Jiujiu Weigong” public welfare project. The “Jiujiu Weigong” initiative is collaboratively implemented by the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine and the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering in partnership with the Chongqing Charity Federation. A charitable fund of RMB 1 million has been established to provide a subsidy of RMB 1,000 per patient to 1,000 eligible individuals suffering from uterine fibroids and other related conditions. Patients may apply by scanning a QR code at hospitals participating in the “Jiujiu Weigong” project or by accessing the application portal for the Chongqing Charity Federation’s “Jiujiu Weigong” public welfare project through the “99 Uterus Health Science Popularization” WeChat official account. The initiative aims to enable more women to benefit from focused ultrasound, a minimally invasive and non-invasive therapeutic technology.

 Global Multicenter Remote Collaborative Uterus-Preserving Surgery Public Welfare Campaign: Live Surgical Broadcast

On that day, 185 hospitals worldwide with HIFU^®The Minimally Invasive and Non-invasive Treatment Center conducted a cross-regional live broadcast of synchronized surgeries. Experts in the field of minimally invasive and non-invasive therapies, including Zhang Lian, Yang Wuwei, Prof. Hamed, and Wang Qiulin, analyzed typical cases from Malaysia’s Ren Ai Hospital and provided treatment recommendations, while monitoring the surgical progress in real time through the Global Collaborative Service Center for Focused Ultrasound Ablation Surgery.

 International Expert Remote Consultation

As a non-invasive local thermal ablation technique, focused ultrasound ablation surgery is a world-leading treatment technology pioneered in China with fully independent intellectual property rights.

According to Professor Zhang Lian, Dean of Chongqing Haifu Hospital and a professor at Chongqing Medical University, traditional invasive surgical treatment for uterine fibroids causes iatrogenic trauma to the uterus. Even for patients with fertility desires, doctors generally recommend strict contraception for 1–2 years. In contrast, focused ultrasound ablation is a non-invasive procedure that offers precise targeting, ablating only the lesion tissue while avoiding iatrogenic injury. Patients can attempt conception within 3–6 months after treatment, significantly shortening the waiting period and addressing fertility challenges for older women struggling with infertility.

 “Award Ceremony for the 2022 Focused Ultrasound Science Popularization Experts”

At the event, medical personnel who demonstrated outstanding performance in science popularization within the field of minimally invasive and non-invasive therapies in 2022 were also commended. A total of 60 individuals were awarded the title of “2022 Science Popularization Expert in Focused Ultrasound.” In their speeches, award representatives Liu Zenghui, Director of the HIFU Center at Qinghe County Central Hospital, and Deng Yongbin, Director of the Medical Education Department at Chongqing Haifu Hospital, both expressed their commitment to creating more high-quality science communication content in the future, with the aim of enhancing public understanding of focused ultrasound ablation surgery and minimally invasive and non-invasive treatments.

According to the organizers, the State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Medical Engineering and the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine will join forces with various sectors of society to popularize health knowledge among women, improve their health status, and support the preservation of female fertility.

To date, the HAIFU® Focused Ultrasound Tumor Therapy System has been exported to 29 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, and is in use at more than 400 medical institutions worldwide, such as Churchill Hospital at the University of Oxford in the UK and Bonn University Hospital in Germany. By the end of 2022, focused ultrasound ablation surgery had surpassed 230,000 clinical cases for the treatment of benign and malignant tumors globally, preserving the uteri of tens of thousands of women and enabling thousands of women to successfully give birth to “HAIFU babies.”