(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-26 18:16

"I'm never worried about our children. They are studying and living in a safe and healthy environment," said Qoimqung, father of two boys in the school.

The disease is mainly found in a long and narrow region extending from the country's northeast to the southwest, plaguing at least more than 810,000 people in 14 province-level regions including Tibet Autonomous Region, according to China Medical Tribune.

The cause of the disease remains unconfirmed. Some experts hold that ingestion of certain kind of fungus contained in highland barley, a staple food for local people, and low iodine and selenium intake may be contributing factors.

Under the program, each patient can get 15 kg of rice every month for free, a replacement for the suspected highland barley, and have medical costs refunded.

The government also pays a monthly subsidy of 100 yuan to more than 3,000 seriously ill patients, and pays the fees for some senior citizens to live in old people's houses.

The project also encourages scientific research to ascertain the cause and cure of the mysterious disease.

The aim is to cut the rate of new cases to 5 percent in ten years from the current 20 percent, said Pei Fuxing, a doctor in charge of clinic research and treatment of the disabling degenerative disease.

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