VOA英语2010年-Mobile Health Technology Can Reach the Remot

Consider this: a mobile phone with applications to detect cancer and tuberculosis¹, control sugar levels for diabetics and monitor vital signs. The champions of mobile health or "mhealth" technology are promising² healthcare delivered through digital devices. The technology is already being used - in different degress - in many countrties. It's poised³ to improve access and ensure rapid delivery of health care especially in developing nations.

In India's Silicon⁴ Valley , Bangalore, a hospital provides cell phones to health workers. They use the applications in remote communities, sending patient data back to the hospital for a diagnosis⁵.

The technology was developed with Harvard University to help find cancer in early stages when it's still treatable.

Dr. Moni Abraham heads the Department of Cancer at Narayan Hriduyalya hospital. He explains how it works. "So almost like an expert going to the community and seeing the patient ourselves, so they (health workers) take a picture then completing all the constituents⁶ and taking picture they press a button and with the button they can transfer the entire details into the Internet," he said.

mHealth Alliance, a global consortium, and other promoters of mobile health technology see cell phones and other devices as a way to improve health care in areas where people do not have good access to it. It can facilitate health care in developing countries.

But in affluent⁷ countries, the technology promises rapid health care too - especially in rural communities.

It can help health care workers communicate with clinics. Doctors and technicians in the field can get advice on how best to treat a patient.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has doled⁸ out billions of dollars to improve health care in developing countries. Bill Gates says cell phones and lap tops can save lives. "If you could register every birth on the cell phone, get fingerprints⁹, get a location then you could take these systems where you go around and make sure those immunizations happened," he said.

In most developing countries, medical records are recorded by hand.

Researchers funded by the Gates Foundation are working on a mobile phone-based vaccination¹⁰ registry. Health workers will scan fingerprints into a mobile phone so they can track people who have been immunized against certain diseases.

The Intel Corporation has developed a mapping tool.

An Intel spokesman explains how that could facilitate the work of health professionals. "Today they go around with a clipboard and a paper but whereas now they will be able to take care of location where the folks are, what treatments they have had," he said.

Experts say mobile technology can provide a mosaic¹¹ of services. The applications can be used to quickly relay medical data, transfer money and send educational materials to whoever needs them.

Thierry Zylberberg with the mobile company Orange says the applications will depend on the health needs of specific countries. "In Europe, we are very advanced in the sense that we have commercially available systems we are making money out of it," he said.

Linking technology to health priorities could be the next step in making mobile health relevant.

1 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。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

4 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

5 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

6 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

8 doled   

救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• The food was doled out to the poor. 食品分发给了穷人。
• Sisco briskly doled out the United States positions on the key issues. 西斯科轻快地把美国在重大问题上的立场放了出去。

9 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

11 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。