More than 150 hearing-impaired people from southwest China's Tibet were screened for a deafness gene in Lhasa, capital city of the region, on October 28. The event was initiated by the China Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and was the first such screening to take place in Tibet.

According to data from 2016, there are about 46,000 people with hearing disabilities in Tibet, with deafness a common disability. Scientific research shows that more than 50 percent of deaf cases are caused by genetic factors, and 25 percent of deaf cases are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

It is reported that the screening is free of charge. A day ago, the association has screened 117 children from the Lhasa Special Education School.

Editor: Tommy Tan.