Neurosurgeons are scarce in developing countries, so as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing is stepping in to help train young doctors in the specialty in countries along the old Silk Road, said Ling Feng, one of China's top neurosurgeons.

"Being able to train young neurosurgeons can help save a lot of lives," she said on the sidelines of the 2016 NGO Global Summit for UN Sustainable Development Goals, being held from Wednesday through Friday at United Nations headquarters in New York.

"For some diseases - stroke, hypertension-related hemorrhaging - if you cannot offer emergency treatment, patients can die immediately," said Ling, who is one of the lead participants in a program to train young medical students in the latest neurological techniques.