2006年VOA标准英语-World Health Assembly Approves Key Public Healt

By Lisa Schlein
27 May 2006

Avian influenza¹ and efforts to combat HIV/AIDS were at the top of the agenda of the annual World Health Assembly, which ended Saturday.

During their weeklong meeting, the 192 members of the assembly agreed to speed up implementation² of regulations governing how nations deal with a possible pandemic.

WHO spokesman Ian Simpson says the regulations were due to come into force a year from now.  But because of the seriousness of a possible pandemic, he says, delegates decided³ to voluntarily put into place provisions that cover a potential outbreak of bird flu.

"It [the regulations] will increase the clarity and speed of notification of potential outbreaks of international concern," he said.  "It will increase the ability of WHO to work with countries to support them, particularly on things like developing laboratory capacity, developing surveillance and so on.  It will also bring into play some of the rules that govern the way that countries can and should monitor people when they are arriving and departing, when there is suspicion of a disease outbreak of international concern." 

The assembly also adopted a resolution aimed at providing universal access to prevention, treatment and care to people with HIV by 2010.  Simpson says there also was a related resolution looking at the issue of HIV and nutrition.

"We know that people who are on HIV treatment, in particular, need access to good nutrition," he added.  "But we know that, basically, a lot of people who are in countries that are badly affected⁴ by HIV, do not have access to good nutrition.  And this was an attempt to try to resolve this, and in particular, to try and find ways to insure that people who are receiving treatment for HIV, that people who are receiving anti-retroviral treatment also have access to good nutritious⁵ food."

Delegates also pledged their financial and political support to WHO's campaign to eradicate⁶ polio around the world. In particular, they promised to put their weight behind efforts to rid the last four polio endemic countries - Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria - of this crippling disease.

The assembly also approved the Global Health Agenda, which sets out key public health initiatives and concerns over the next decade, including universial health coverage⁷ and improving health systems around the world.

1 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

2 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

6 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

7 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。