Average life expectancy in Tibet reaches 71.1
LHASA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The average life expectancy in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region reached a record high of 71.1 in 2020, doubling the figure of 35.5 in 1951, said Qizhala, chairman of the regional government.
The key health indicators of maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate both fell close to 50 percent from 2015, dropping to 50 per 100,000 and eight per 1,000, respectively, Qizhala said in his government work report delivered Wednesday at the fourth session of the 11th People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region.
From 2016 to 2020, Tibet also made substantial progress in the treatment and prevention of hydatid disease, reducing the prevalence rate from 1.66 percent, highest among China's provincial-level regions, to 0.26 percent which is close to the national average.
Hydatid disease is known to have been a health hazard and economic burden for the patients and their families. It has caused huge losses to local agriculture and animal husbandry.
Besides hydatid disease, other endemic diseases including Kaschin-Beck disease, congenital heart disease, and cataract that once troubled the Tibetan people have also been brought under effective control.
Treatments for more than 400 major diseases are now available at hospitals in the autonomous region, according to official data.