Kashin-Beck Disease Fund
Location: Rural Tibet
Mission Statement
Its mission is to provide assistance to Tibetans living in Kashin-Beck disease endemic areas, with the goals of alleviating the pain caused by Kashin-Beck disease, implementing appropriate and sustainable prevention programs and researching the causes of the disease.
Background Information
KBDF maintains complete independence from any political groups or governmental departments in its operations, research activities, financial management, fundraising, and staffing. Kashin-Beck Disease Fund is an international, independent non-profit organisation that provides medical humanitarian assistance to more than 50,000 people living in around 100 villages in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
KBDF's program is directed by Dr. Francoise Mathieu, who has started the KBD program for Doctors Without Border in 1992, ran it for ten years, and continued the program under the new organization KBDF. Dr. Mathieu and a team of volunteer scientists and medical and agricultural experts from Belgium guide the field staff daily in their work in the villages. The field staff consists of 11 Tibetan health and administrative officers.
Activities of Organisation
KBDF collaborates with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Tibet Autonomous Region. KBDF also has regular contacts with Chinese researchers who work in other endemics areas such as in Heilonjiang, Sha'anxi, Sichuan, and Gansu provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as well as in Beijing.
Consensus Community Perspective
The healthcare projects that the Kashin-Beck Disease Fund has undertaken in the Tibetan region support one of the core values that the Himalayan Consensus advocates: realizing sustainable health care initiatives for disenfranchised members of the community.
Contact Information
Address:
Beck Disease Foundation
Tuanjie Xincun, Sera Road850 000 Lhasa (T.A.R.) P.R. China
Contact: Rinzen Wangla, Locale Verantwoordelijke
Email: kbdftib@hotmail.comkbdftib@yahoo.com.cn
rinzen.wangla@kbdfoundation.org
Tel/fax: +86-(0)891-6328084
GSM: +86-13518903231
Website: Visit this community's website