Cerebral palsy and mentally retarded children in two counties of southwest China's Guangxi Autonomous Region will enjoy health-care services provided by a foreign-funded rehabilitation network, the regional federation of handicapped people said on Thursday.

The two chosen counties are Mashan and Fusui.

A non-government organization, International Handicap Belgium will invest 3.6 million yuan (US$443,899) in the rehabilitation network, which will start operation in 2006.

With a term of four years, the project will provide rehabilitation equipment, fund patient investigations and organize experts' diagnosis. A data bank on cerebral palsy and mentally retarded children will be built under the network.

"We will spare no efforts to help the Chinese cerebral palsy and mentally retarded children to receive normal education and improve their ability to live by their own,” said Tang Yong, a regional manager of the International Handicap Belgium.

According to official statistics, there are now more than six million cerebral palsy patients in China, including 1.78 million children under the age of 13.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2005)