The average life expectancy in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has increased from 35.5 years before 1959 to 70.6 years in 2018, with more four generations of families emerging, an official of the Tibetan health authority said Thursday. 

In 2018, there are 1,548 medical and health institutions in Tibet with 24,018 health workers and healthcare goals for 2020 has been achieved ahead of schedule, according to a press conference held by China's National Health Commission (NHC) in Beijing on Thursday. 

The medical and health service network has been established in Tibet and the service function has been enhanced with stronger capability in both medical diagnosis and treatment. 

Most of the farmers and herdsmen in Tibet don't have to leave Tibet for major disease, and those minor illnesses can be treated in the counties, said Wang Yunting, deputy director of the health commission of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Local people's health condition has been significantly improved as the healthcare program fully covers the cost for all residents' medical examinations, treatment, maternity hospital delivery and medical care. 

Over the past 60 plus years since the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the maternal mortality rate has dropped from 5,000 out of every 100,000 to 56.52 every 100,000 cases. 

The infant mortality rate has declined from 430 every 1,000 to 11.59 every 1,000, said Wang. 

In terms of infrastructure, the healthcare network has expanded in urban and rural areas including towns and villages. 

Basic medical care, disease prevention and control, maternal and children healthcare, first aid and patrol diagnosis and treatment systems have been improved continuously.