2006年VOA标准英语-Ghana Studying Practices of Herbal Practitioner

By Efam Dovi
Accra
24 November 2006

In Ghana, health authorities say they have taken a major step towards finding treatment for HIV/AIDS and other diseases by using local, traditional medicines. An estimated 4,000 of the country's 20 million people are infected with the disease. Efam Dovi filed this VOA report from the capital, Accra.

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The West African nation this year began an ambitious plan to include selected traditional herbal medicine - used widely in Ghana - on the country's recommended drug list.

This move will help the country cut back on drug importation, making health care more accessible.

Ghana's health minister, Major Courage Quashigah, told a gathering¹ at the launch of the WHO African Regional Health Report in Accra Thursday that the medical practices of 10 traditional healers are currently undergoing testing at the country's Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The minister said a scientific study is necessary to secure the World Health Organization's approval for production and use of the medicines.

The program is being overseen² by traditional health practitioners³, WHO, Ghana's Food and Drug Board, Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, who heads Ghana's National Drugs Program, said, "We are trying to find out what they [traditional practitioners] have, how long the medicine had been in use, the adverse⁴ reaction that has occur, which they know, we trying to find out the labeling, we trying to find out the part of the plant they are using, we are trying to find out safety procedures, manufacturing records, we want to find out the stability of the product."

 

Research indicates at least six out of 10 Ghanaians use traditional health medicine, either because they are readily available, cheaper, or simply believe the products work.

Gyansa-Lutterodt says the program is also being expanded to cover other diseases besides HIV/AIDs.

 

She said, "We are looking for priority diseases like malaria⁵, which is our number one killer⁶, tuberculosis⁷, diabetics and those other diseases of public health importance."

"So we are looking at communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases," she continued.

 

The WHO representative in Ghana, Joaquim Saweka, who gave an overview⁸ of the African Regional Health report said the number of HIV/AIDS infected people on anti-retroviral drugs have increased from 100,000 in 2003 to 810,000 in 2005.

The report talked about the progress made in fighting diseases and promoting health care in Africa.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

3 practitioners   

n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师）

参考例句：

• one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
• The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的，但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句

4 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

5 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

6 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

7 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。

8 overview   

n.概观，概述

参考例句：

• The opening chapter gives a brief historical overview of transport.第一章是运输史的简要回顾。
• The seminar aims to provide an overview on new media publishing.研讨会旨在综览新兴的媒体出版。