Average life expectancy in Tibet rises to 70.6

The average life expectancy in Tibet has risen to 70.6 years, a senior Chinese health official said on Dec 15.

The autonomous region has also witnessed significant improvements in key health indicators including the infant and children mortality rate, the maternal mortality rate and the hospital delivery rate over the last five years, said Li Dachuan from the National Health Commission at a press conference.

Before democratic reform in 1959, the average life expectancy in Tibet was just 35.5 years.