LHASA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Tibet has confirmed 5,290 cases of tuberculosis (TB) in 2006 and promises to provide free treatment to these patients, sources with the tuberculosis research institute of Tibet Autonomous Region said on Saturday.

    Tibet has higher incidence rate of TB than anywhere else in China. Last year, the region reported 11,566 suspected TB infection cases and 5,290 have been confirmed.

    "Ninety percent of TB patients are from agricultural and grazing areas in Tibet, which makes the prevention and treatment particularly difficult." Goigye, deputy director of the research institution, said on the World TB day.

    But all the TB patients can seek free medical treatment in designated hospitals in major cities and townships in Tibet thanks to the joint efforts made by the Ministry of Health and the Belgium Damien Foundation. In Lhasa, there are three TB hospitals, Goigye said.

    Statistics show that 90 percent of the TB cases in Tibet are pulmonary TB, which is a highly infectious respiratory disease.

    The World TB day, set on March 24 by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to arouse public awareness of the importance of timely diagnosis and effective treatment for TB patients to prevent the spread of the disease.