China's Xizang reports gains against endemic diseases

LHASA -- Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region has achieved significant results in preventing and treating endemic diseases, the regional health authority said Wednesday.

In 2023 and 2024, the region screened more than 1.7 million people for echinococcosis (hydatid disease), treating over 6,000 with medication and performing surgery on 675. The human infection rate decreased to 0.16 percent in 2024 from 0.22 percent in 2022, mainly due to effective dog management and rodent control.

Xizang reported no new cases of Kashin-Beck disease, a historically prevalent condition in the region also known as the "big bone disease," since 2018, citing measures such as improved water and grain quality, as well as relocation.

Addressing the high incidence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children, Xizang has raised the number of designated hospitals from three to five, with routine and standardized screening and treatment. Since 2023, more than 300,000 children have been screened for the disease, leading to over 800 surgical procedures. The proportion of CHD surgeries performed within the region rose from 3.9 percent to 46.25 percent.

Health check-up subsidies increased to 164 yuan (about $22.9) per person in 2025, with 200 yuan allocated for those aged 65 and over. Cataract screening is now a mandatory part of the check-up for this age group. Designated cataract surgery hospitals grew from 35 to 45 since 2023, treating 22,000 patients.

Tan Xiangdong, deputy director of the regional health commission, said that efforts will continue to address pressing public health needs.