BACKGROUND HISTORY:

    Buddhist missionaries from India came to Tibet in the 7th century and started an alphabet system for the Tibetan language, also started translations of Buddhist texts. During this century Tibet was a strong kingdom. By the 10th century, things began to fall apart with Tibet separating into several principalities. In 1206, Genghis Khan included Tibet in his empire and in the mid-1600's, the Mongols allowed the Dalai Lama to have political power within Tibet.

    China came to control Tibet in the 18th century, but they didn't maintain their authority for long. In 1911, Tibetan's rebelled for their authority and independence, this was completed by 1913. A meeting was held with Britain, China and Tibet to come to an agreement regarding Tibet's status. China never came to an agreement and the situation culminated in a battle in eastern Tibet in 1918. The British attempted to settle the dispute with a truce, but failed.  
    When the Tibetan leadership in Central Asia was weak, the Mongol Khan secured it. This protection continued when Mongol Dynasty reigned over China. The first European travellers to visit Tibet reported that Tibet was considered as a mythic country. At the end of World War II, the Mao-Tse-tung Army defeated Chang-Kai-chek and invaded Tibet. After installation of a pro-Chinese Administration, the first decisions brought a severe famine, suppressed civil rights and imposed the Chinese language. In March 1959, Lhassa population obliged the Dalai-Lama to escape in India, against his will. In the 1970's, during the Cultural Revolution the Red Guards destroyed nearly 2000 official buildings and holy places, and burnt nearly all the Tibetan libraries and books to get rid of the Tibetan civilisation and language.

    Natural disasters have made a big impact on Tibet. On April 14, 2010, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake followed by a number of powerful aftershocks struck in Kham, eastern Tibet. At the time, at least 600 people were reported dead and more than 10,000 injured by Chinese & Western media, but Tibetans with contacts in the area heard the death toll might have been as high as 4,000.

    There are many health issues occurring today. The most common serious health problems for Tibetan children appear to be acute upper respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, hydatid disease and tuberculosis. Goiter is a serious problem in many areas of Tibet. It is especially a problem in certain regions of western Tibet because China's iodized-salt program has not reached these areas. Iodine deficiency also leads to stunted growth and in some cases to mental retardation. Another localized illness is leprosy, which prevalence is unclear. According to some sources, it is a problem in some areas of eastern Tibet, particularly regions of Amdo.




http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/2010/04/devistating-earthquake-in-eastern-tibet-kills-hundreds/
http://www.tibetjustice.org/reports/children/healthcare/c.html
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/china/a/TibetandChina.htm