2006年VOA标准英语-Fake Medicines: A Silent Epidemic

By Jim Bertel
Washington, DC
05 May 2006
 
watch Counterfeit¹ Drugs
 
  
  
Modern medicines have revolutionized the way doctors treat patients, increased life expectancy², and, for many, improved the quality of life. Pharmaceuticals⁴ are a multi-billion dollar business, and criminal elements are trying to cash in with often-deadly consequences. VOA Jim Bertel takes a closer look at the growing problem of counterfeit drugs.

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TheWorld Health Organization calls counterfeit drugs the silent epidemic⁵, preying⁶ on the sick and denying patients therapies that can alleviate⁷ suffering and save lives.

Counterfeit drugs -- like counterfeit money -- are difficult for even the most highly trained medical professionals to distinguish from the real thing.

"They look the same, the packaging is the same, the bottle is the same, the texture⁸ of the pill can even be similar" said Randall Lutter, an Associate Commissioner⁹ at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the government agency charged with safeguarding medicines in the United States, and Co-Chairs the FDA's Counterfeit Drug Task Force. He says the criminal elements behind fake drugs are motivated by one thing. 

 
Randall Lutter
  
"Money. Somebody is making money off of selling the counterfeit drug. And as a result of that economic incentive¹⁰, somebody's making money at the expense of the patient's pocketbook, but more importantly at the expense of the patient's health."

The WHO estimates 10 percent of pharmaceuticals worldwide are fake. In wealthier countries the most frequently counterfeited¹¹ drugs are expensive lifestyle medicines such as allergy¹² medications.  In the developing world, counterfeiters target drugs used to treat life-threatening conditions like malaria¹³. 

The risks to the unsuspecting patient are great: Fake drugs offer little or no medicinal benefit or, in the most extreme cases, prove deadly. "But since deceit is involved you can never tell if it is going to be a little pain, if it is going to be no effect, or if it is going to kill you" said James Class. who is with the Pharmaceutical³ Research and Manufacturers Association.

James Class   
  
He is also Executive Director of the Partnership¹⁴ for Safe Medicine, an international coalition¹⁵ committed to protecting the public from counterfeit medicines. He says since these counterfeit drugs flow through the black market it is difficult to trace their source. But most experts agree criminals in India and China are behind much of the fake drug trade. Class says China has taken steps to rein¹⁶ in these illegal activities, but India may not be regulating its export drug industry.

"There has been a number of outspoken¹⁷ advocates, especially Nigerian Health regulator Dora Akunyili, who believe the main problem is that India allows exported drugs, drugs that are designed for export, to leave the country without going through a regulatory system.

A number of developing countries have taken steps to combat counterfeit drugs, including Uganda, which set up strict rules for the importation of medicine.

 
Apollo Muhairwe
  
Apollo Muhairwe, Executive Secretary of Uganda's National Drug Authority, says his agency is charged with ensuring only safe, quality medicines are available in his country. "We do this through drug registration¹⁸, through inspecting sites, through quality control at the laboratory and also at the ports of entry."

But without global regulation and enforcement, the safety and quality of medicines in many developing countries cannot be guaranteed. The World Health Organization has created an international task force to try to coordinate¹⁹ various efforts around the world. But with counterfeiters utilizing²⁰ increasingly sophisticated technology, many experts believe it will be difficult to stop counterfeiters from exploiting the ill.

1 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

4 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 preying   

v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生

参考例句：

• This problem has been preying on my mind all day. 这个问题让我伤了整整一天脑筋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For a while he let his eyes idly follow the preying bird. 他自己的眼睛随着寻食的鸟毫无目的地看了一会儿。 来自辞典例句

7 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

8 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

10 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

11 counterfeited   

v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• How did you spot those fifties were counterfeited? 你怎样察觉出那些50元面值的纸币是伪造的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old miser's widow counterfeited a grief she did not feel. 这个老守财奴的寡妇伪装出她并没有的哀伤。 来自辞典例句

12 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

13 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。

14 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

15 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

16 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

17 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

18 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

19 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

20 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句