VOA标准英语2015--埃博拉疫情或倒逼全球卫生体系重大改革

Ebola Outbreak Shows ‘Major Reforms’ Needed 埃博拉疫情或倒逼全球卫生体系重大改革

LONDON—

A panel of experts says major reforms of the global health system are needed - if the world is to avoid a repeat of the Ebola epidemic¹ that swept across West Africa in 2014 and early 2015. The investigation² – convened³ by the Harvard Global Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene⁴ and Tropical Medicine - says the slow response cost thousands of lives.  

More than 11,000 people died as the Ebola virus spread across Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - with minor⁵ outbreaks in a handful of other African countries. The investigation into the global response describes ‘immense human suffering, fear and chaos’ – and criticizes a lack of political leadership.

Professor Peter Piot was part of the team that discovered the Ebola virus in what was then Zaire in 1976, and chaired the report into the latest outbreak.

“We need to support those countries that are most vulnerable to epidemics⁶ to build their capacity, so that they can diagnose locally and promptly⁷, and also organize the response through health education and whatever measures have to be put in place," said Piot.

The report says the biggest single failure was the World Health Organization's delay in sounding the alarm on the outbreak.

“And as a result many people died unnecessarily, that could have been prevented. That means a better-equipped and more-efficient and more-responsive WHO, World Health Organization.  And also a system that brings more accountability, that we know where the money is going, that we know which states are doing what they promised to do," said Piot.

Since the outbreak, promising⁸ vaccines⁹ have been developed against Ebola. Piot says thousands of lives could have been saved with earlier investment.

Last month the three worst affected¹⁰ countries celebrated¹¹ the first week none of them had experienced any new infections.  But in recent days there have been several new cases in Liberia.

“We have discovered now, which is something we didn’t know, that people – men – can excrete the virus in their seminal¹² fluid for six or seven months. That there may be persistence¹³ of the virus in the body. So all that is very new," he said.

Piot says those new developments make the reforms even more urgent, to prevent a future pandemic.

1 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。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

4 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。

5 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

6 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

7 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

8 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。

9 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

10 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。

11 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

12 seminal   

adj.影响深远的；种子的

参考例句：

• The reforms have been a seminal event in the history of the NHS.这些改革已成为英国国民保健制度史上影响深远的一件大事。
• The emperor's importance as a seminal figure of history won't be diminished.做为一个开创性历史人物的重要性是不会减弱的。

13 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。