Kashin-Beck Disease Fund asbl-vzw

The Kashin-Beck Disease Fund (KBD Fund) is an independent, non-profit organization registered in Belgium as an asbl-vzw (association sans but lucratif / vereniging zonder winstoogmerk). It is the only non-governmental organization whose research and field activities are specifically dedicated to the prevention of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) among Tibetan children. The organization provides medical humanitarian assistance to more than 50,000 people living in around 100 villages in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its mission is to alleviate the pain caused by KBD, implement appropriate and sustainable prevention programs, and research the causes of the disease. In addition to medical care, the Fund has broadened its activities to improve nutrition and train local populations in primary healthcare and hygiene. The organization was founded in November 2002 by four researchers and medical doctors who had previously worked on KBD projects with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tibet. When MSF withdrew from the region in 2002, these experts, together with local Tibetan staff, established the KBD Fund to continue the research and prevention programs. The Fund maintains complete independence in its operations, research, financial management, fundraising, and human resources, and does not support or engage in any political or religious activities. The KBD Fund is directed by Dr. Françoise Mathieu, who started the KBD program for MSF in 1992, ran it for ten years, and earned her PhD with a focus on KBD. She leads a team of volunteer scientists, medical and agricultural experts from Belgium who guide the field staff daily. The field team consists of 11 Tibetan health and administrative officers, some of whom have been with the program since 1992. The organization collaborates with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the Tibet Autonomous Region and maintains regular contacts with Chinese researchers in other endemic areas such as Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Gansu provinces, Inner Mongolia, and Beijing. The KBD Fund operates from its registered office in Forrières, Belgium, and maintains a field office in Lhasa, Tibet. Its work focuses on clinical activities, research, and community-based prevention, making it a unique actor in the fight against Kashin-Beck disease.

The Kashin-Beck Disease Fund (KBD Fund) was established in November 2002 in Belgium as a non-profit organization (registration number 479.122.491). Its creation followed the withdrawal of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from the Tibet Autonomous Region, where MSF had been running a Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) program since 1992. The MSF program began with physiotherapy projects that successfully reduced joint pain and improved joint mobility for patients. In 1997, MSF expanded its work to include research on the causes of KBD and prevention programs in 22 villages, and provided training on KBD prevention techniques in 50 townships. When MSF, whose mandate is to provide emergency medical aid, decided to leave Tibet in 2002 because KBD research and prevention require long-term commitment, the international experts and local Tibetan staff involved in the program founded the KBD Fund to ensure continuity. The new organization received initial financial and logistical support from MSF. The four founders were all researchers and medical doctors who had participated in the MSF KBD projects in Tibet. The six board members are also professionals who have been involved in KBD epidemiological surveys and prevention work. Since its founding, the KBD Fund has provided medical services to KBD patients, sought to prevent new cases through nutritional supplementation and improved grain/food storage methods, and trained rural Tibetan health workers in KBD prevention and skills. The organization is directed by Dr. Françoise Mathieu, who started the MSF KBD program in 1992, ran it for ten years, and earned her PhD with a focus on KBD. She leads a team of volunteer scientists, medical and agricultural experts from Belgium who guide the field staff daily. The field staff consists of 11 Tibetan health and administrative officers, some of whom have been with the program since 1992. The KBD Fund is the only non-governmental organization carrying out clinical activities and research on KBD for Tibetans affected by the disease. It collaborates with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the Tibet Autonomous Region and maintains regular contacts with Chinese researchers in other endemic areas such as Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Gansu provinces, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Beijing. The organization maintains complete independence in its operations, research, financial management, fundraising, and human resources, and does not support or engage in any political or religious activities. Its projects benefit more than 50,000 people living in around 100 villages.

• 2002

  MSF withdraws from Tibet; the Kashin-Beck Disease Fund is founded in November in Belgium (registration number 479.122.491).

• 1997

  MSF begins research on KBD causes and prevention programs in 22 villages, and provides training in 50 townships.

• 1992

  Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) starts the Kashin-Beck disease program in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The only non-governmental organization dedicated to the prevention and research of Kashin-Beck disease among Tibetan children.

• Medical humanitarian assistance

  Provides medical services to more than 50,000 people in around 100 villages in Tibet.

• KBD prevention programs

  Implements sustainable prevention programs, including nutritional supplementation and improved grain storage.

• Primary healthcare and hygiene training

  Trains local populations and rural health workers in primary healthcare and hygiene behavior.

• Clinical research on KBD

  Conducts clinical research on Kashin-Beck disease in collaboration with the Tibet CDC.

1. 1Kashin-Beck Disease Fund asbl-vzwkbdfund.org
2. 2关于我们 - Kashin-Beck Disease Fund asbl-vzwkbdfund.org
3. 3About US - Kashin-Beck Disease Fund asbl-vzwkbdfund.org
4. 4Kashin-Beck Disease Fund asbl-vzw ewikidata.org