In brief
In Zanzibar, Leila Salum Kanyinyi reported relief after Chinese doctors performed a complex laparoscopic ureter reconstruction. The operation, carried out by the 36th Chinese medical team, also trained local surgeons and highlighted growing China‑Tanzania health cooperation.
In Zanzibar, Leila Salum Kanyinyi, a 38‑year‑old mother of three, said her year‑long lower back and abdominal pain ended after Chinese doctors performed a complex laparoscopic ureter reconstruction on Oct. 30, 2026.
For months, her right lower back had ached to the point that she struggled to care for her children. She was eventually referred to Lumumba Hospital, part of Zanzibar’s Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, where the local medical team initially diagnosed a narrowing of her right ureter.
The condition turned out to be more serious, with a long section of narrowing in the lower part of the ureter. Facing the challenge, the local team sought help from the 36th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar. Wang Wei, the team’s urological specialist, reviewed the case and devised a surgical plan for a laparoscopic Boari flap ureteroneocystostomy.
The minimally invasive operation used laparoscopic equipment donated by China, allowing tissue from the bladder to reconstruct the damaged ureter. Compared with conventional open surgery, the approach promised less trauma and a shorter recovery period.
Director Wang also used the procedure to train local doctors, explaining surgical anatomy, procedural techniques, and how to prevent and manage complications. Local doctor Gideon Safiel Mwasakyalo emphasized the opportunity for local staff to observe and learn from the experience.
“I feel like I have been given a new life,” Kanyinyi said. “My right lower back ached for a whole year, and when the pain became severe, I didn’t even have the strength to take care of my children.”
