The Terma Foundation was founded in 1993 as the Tibet Child Nutrition Project (TCNP), by Dr. Nancy S. Harris and now implements public health programs including nutrition, education, primary and preventive health care, acknowledging traditional belief systems, and integrating low-tech, low-cost western

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

where appropriate in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. Terma's work in the

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a Provinces of China, province-level Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China in Southwest China. I ...

and adjacent ethnic Tibetan areas of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

is carried out by a multidisciplinary coalition of

Tibetans The Tibetan people (; ) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 6.7 million. In addition to the majority living in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, significant numbers of Tibetans live ...

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, and

Westerners The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

in successful cooperation with PRC nationals and local health authorities. Dr. Harris gained notoriety when she published an article in the

New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one. Hist ...

with the results of her study on stunted growth in the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

region. She measured 2,500 children in rural villages and concluded that malnutrition was the cause rather than altitude, as previously suspected. To aid their work with local communities, the organization conducted a systematic study on the effectiveness of traditional Tibetan medicine in preventing and treating child health problems. They also studied the impact of vitamins and sunlight exposure in preventing rickets. The foundation's field operations, based in Lhasa, now reach an estimated 300,000 child and community beneficiaries each year.World of Children Award Nominees
/ref> The objectives of the foundation include: • Focusing on the health and welfare of children, women, and the elderly who maintain indigenous values while confronting contemporary challenges; • Promoting environmentally appropriate traditional agriculture, consumption of high nutrient indigenous foods, and cultivation of Tibetan herbs; • Supporting educational programs in public health, literacy, vocational training, the arts, and international education exchange; • Developing microeconomic initiatives at the grassroots level which will sustain the local health infrastructure; and • Facilitating interaction between Tibetans and other indigenous communities internationally and on issues relating to health, education, and the environment.

References

External links

Official website
Charities based in California Organizations established in 1993 Health in Tibet Foreign charities operating in Tibet {{US-philanthropy-org-stub