VOA标准英语2010年-Mining Driving TB Epidemic in Sub-Saha

Some of the main driving factors of sub-Saharan Africa’s growing tuberculosis¹ epidemic² can be found deep underground in its gold, diamond and precious mineral mines.  A new Oxford³ University-led study warns of the health risks faced by miners and their families.

 

The study says Africa’s mining industry “may be implicated” in as many as 760,000 new cases of TB every year.

Lead author, Oxford researcher Dr. David Stuckler, says, “It’s well known that miners have the highest risk of tuberculosis of any occupational group in the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.  But the striking finding of our study was that not just miners are at risk.  But through a system of circular migration⁴, these risks are spread to their families, communities and entire countries."

Dust, crowding, HIV

“In gold mines, such as those in South Africa, there are high levels of silica.  This is known to create risks over the long-term of silicosis, which damages the lungs and puts miners and workers at risk of contracting or activating⁵ tuberculosis,” says Stuckler.

The miners’ poor living conditions also make them more vulnerable to TB.

“Miners travel long distances and seasonally⁶, living in barracks and hostels⁷ at the mines.  Often these are cramped⁸ and poorly ventilated quarters sometimes referred to by researchers as prison-like in their size and scope.  This creates conditions that are conducive⁹ for spreading an airborne disease rapidly,” he says.

And then there’s HIV/AIDS, the spread of which is now linked to TB.  Stuckler says the study shows that African countries with the greatest intensity¹⁰ of mining activity also have the greatest rates of tuberculosis and HIV.

Stuckler says, “Due to the transitory nature of the work, miners are often away from their families for extended periods.  This can lead to risky¹¹ sexual activity.  Sexworkers locate often alongside mines and peripheral¹² mining communities and in a setting where HIV prevalence is very high.  In some cases as many as 2 out of 5 people are infected.”

Early treatment not enough

Many mining companies have health clinics that can diagnose miners with TB and start treatment.  However, the study says that doesn’t go far enough to stop the spread of the disease.

“When that miner travels home,” he says, “often the medicines and medical records of the miner do not.  So when the miner reaches Swaziland or Lesotho, a doctor recognizes signs of tuberculosis.  He or she is often working blind, not knowing what medicines the miner has or hasn’t taken.  In this case, there’s potential for treatment disruptions, medical mismanagement that can breed drug resistant¹³ strains.  Those drug resistant strains threaten us all.”

The Oxford researcher adds, “One study in Lesotho found that 1 out of 4 cases of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis – this is a strain of the disease that’s virtually resistant to our main tuberculosis drugs – one quarter of those cases was occurring in miners, ex-miners and their families.  We’re seeing strong evidence that through migration a disease becomes an epidemic."

The study of sub-Saharan African mining and TB was a joint¹⁴ effort by researchers at Oxford and Brown Universities, the University of California at San Francisco and the London School of Hygiene¹⁵ and tropical Medicine. It recommends that mining companies and governments work together to ensure “transparent, accountable standards” of cross border care.  The study also calls for early screening of miners.

“A policy of simply dismissing miners from work when they show signs of tuberculosis will not work and creates a broad set of costs and risks to entire societies,” he says.

The study says over the past 20 years, there’s been a doubling of the yearly annual incidence of TB.  It now infects about 350 out of every 100,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa.  That’s despite the spending of tens of billions of (US) dollars on TB-related programs.

The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health.
 

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 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。

3 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

4 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

5 activating   

活动的，活性的

参考例句：

• "I didn't say we'd got to stop activating the masses! “我并没说就此不发动！ 来自子夜部分
• Presumably both the very small size and activating influence of fluorine atoms contribute to this exception. 这大概是由于氟原子半径小和活性高这两个原因的影响，氟原子对这种例外做出了贡献。

6 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

7 hostels   

n.旅舍，招待所( hostel的名词复数 )；青年宿舍

参考例句：

• The students were protesting at overcrowding in the university hostels. 学生们在抗议大学宿舍过于拥挤。 来自辞典例句
• Are there any cheap hostels in Nanjing for one person? 南京有没有便宜的旅店可以一个人住？ 来自互联网

8 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

9 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

10 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

11 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

12 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

13 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。

14 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。

15 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。