2006年VOA标准英语-WHO Says Malaria Cure's Efficacy At Risk

By Paige Kollock
Washington, DC
20 January 2006
 
watch Malaria¹ Treatments report

The World Health Organization says the most effective cure for malaria could be in jeopardy², unless their new prescription³ guidelines are followed.   

  
  

Malaria affects about 300 million people worldwide each year, and between one and one and a half million of those die from it.   The disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is most prominent in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Drugs used to treat drug resistant⁴ strains of malaria have emerged.  The best of them is called Artemisinin.  It was developed in China from the wormwood plant.  Many drug manufacturers distribute Artemisinin alone, as monotherapy, to treat malaria.  The World Health Organization says that treatment method must be changed to one called "Artemisinin combination therapy", or ACT. 

 
Dr. Arata Kochi 
  
"Used alone, Artemisinin risks creating drug resistance, but when used correctly, with other anti-malarial drugs in ACTs, Artemisinin is more than 95 percent effective in curing malaria,” says Dr. Arata Kochi, director of the WHO's Malaria department. 

The fear is that improper⁵ use of artemisinin will spur the malaria parasite⁶ to develop a resistance to the compound, something that has happened to all previous malaria therapies.

Dr. Pascal Ringwald   
  
WHO's Doctor Pascal Ringwald estimates it will take at least 10 years before another effective medicine becomes available. "It would be a major disaster for the malaria world.  Because this would mean, we would have, for the next 10 years, no more effective drugs to treat malaria."

Though many countries have already taken the step of only allowing funding for Artemisinin combination therapy, some private doctors in developing countries still give monotherapy because it is cheaper for patients who cannot afford the $2 (U.S.) cost of ACT.

The WHO is placing 18 pharmaceutical⁷ companies on notice, requesting they immediately stop using monotherapy to treat malaria. The companies that make the drugs did not respond to VOA's request for comment on their use of monotherapy.

1 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。

2 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

5 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

6 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

7 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。