Adherence to Long-term Therapies Report

By Nancy Steinbach
Broadcast: August 20, 2003
This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Health Report.
The World Health Organization says medical progress against disease will have no effect if people fail to take their medicine. That may seem like common sense. But a W-H-O report says only about half of people in developed countries continue their treatments for serious medical conditions. Continuing treatment over a long period of time is known as adherence¹. Adherence rates are even lower in developing countries.
The W-H-O released the report as part of an effort called the Adherence to 1)Long-Term 2)Therapies project. This project is a worldwide attempt to improve rates of treatment for sicknesses that last a long time.
The report says more than fifty percent of all long-term diseases include mental disorders², H-I-V infection, 3)tuberculosis³ and conditions that do not spread. These include cancer and heart disease. Experts say the percentage will rise to sixty-five percent of all the long-term diseases treated by two-thousand-twenty. Other long-term diseases discussed in the report include high blood pressure, depression, diabetes⁴ and 4)asthma⁵.
The Adherence to Long-Term Therapies Project is the work of more than two-hundred-eighty scientists. They come from over forty countries. One goal of the project is to involve policy makers⁶ and health professionals in the search for better adherence rates. Another purpose is to support research about ways to improve adherence. Still another is to develop local programs to support patients.
The W-H-O report says health care providers need training to judge a patient's ability to understand and continue with treatments. They need to give advice about how people can follow their treatments. And they need to examine the patient's progress at every chance.
The report says patients need to be supported, not blamed. It says another way to improve adherence is to get the support of the patient's family and community. Research has shown that these are important influences on treatment.
The W-H-O report says improving adherence to existing treatments may have better results than providing new medical technologies. It says better adherence is a low-cost way to improve the lives of people with long-term diseases.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. And this is Bill White.

注释：
1) long-term [5lC:N5tEm] adj.长期的
2) therapy [5WerEpi] n.治疗
3) tuberculosis [tju7bE:kju5lEusis] n.肺结核
4) asthma [5AsmE] n.（医）哮喘

1 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

2 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

4 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

5 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

6 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》