The central government will allocate 20 million yuan to help fight a debilitating bone disease that plagues many residents of Qamdo Prefecture of southwest China 's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Some 8.6 million yuan will be used for treating people in Banbar, Lhorong and Baxoi counties diagnosed with Kaschin-Beck, which causes enlargement of joints and leads to limb deformity.
The remaining sum will go to pilot regions in another eight counties in the prefecture.
Qamdo is a region with high incidence of Kaschin-Beck disease. Two-thirds of residents in Qamdo suffer from the disease, which currently has no effective treatment.
The regional government has sent a medical team to study the problem in Qamdo and worked out a plan for comprehensive treatment of the disease. Doctors are following up on progress of 2,000 Kaschin-Beck patients ranging in age from 7 to 12.
The cause of the disease remains unknown. Some experts hold that certain kind of fungus contained in highland barley, a staple food on the plateau, and low iodine intake may be contributing factors.
(People's Daily 10/17/2001)
