VOA慢速英语-Health Report - More People Get HIV Drugs, but Even

The U.N. releases a treatment report about developing countries. "For every two persons we manage to get to," says W.H.O. chief Margaret Chan, "another five persons get infected." Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
03 June 2008

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A United Nations report says almost three million people in developing countries are now receiving drugs for H.I.V. This is an increase of almost one million people from two thousand six. Still, the hope was to reach three million by two thousand five.

The World Health Organization, UNAIDS and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, released the new report Tuesday.
　

Margaret Chan

W.H.O. Director-General Margaret Chan welcomed the progress. But she noted² that antiretroviral therapy, or ART, alone will not solve the problem.

MARGARET CHAN: "For every two persons we manage to provide them with ART, another five persons get infected. So again, we cannot underestimate the power of prevention."

The new report says almost seventy-five percent of people receiving H.I.V. drugs are in Africa. Sixty percent of the people with H.I.V. in Africa are women.

Antiretroviral therapy suppresses H.I.V., human immunodeficiency virus. The drugs help patients live longer without developing AIDS. The disease robs the body of its natural defenses against infections.

An estimated nine million seven hundred thousand people in low- and middle-income countries were in need of H.I.V. treatment last year. The report says that by the end of the year, just over thirty percent of them were getting it.

The report says price reductions are a main reason why more people with H.I.V., including more pregnant women, are receiving the drugs.

Also, delivery systems have been redesigned to better serve individual countries and smaller health centers. And treatments are simpler than in the past.

But the report notes that huge barriers remain in dealing³ with the AIDS epidemic⁴. Getting patients to stay on their therapy is difficult. There are still large numbers of people who do not get tested for H.I.V. And there are many others who get tested too late and die within months.

The report also says there is not enough joint⁵ treatment of H.I.V. and the related infections that most often kill AIDS patients. Tuberculosis⁶, for example, is the leading cause of death among AIDS patients in Africa.

And still another problem is the shortage of health care workers in the developing world. Many move to wealthier nations for better pay and living conditions.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁷. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com for transcripts⁸ and MP3s of our reports. I’m Steve Ember.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 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。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 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。

7 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

8 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句