环球英语 16 Dora Akunyuili

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Mike Procter. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
You know what you are up against when you have a disease² without any cure. You do not have any expectations from drugs or medicines. But if you have a disease that can be cured or managed, you do have expectations. Many people take drugs every day. Drugs have an extremely important job to do. We are not talking about illegal drugs like heroin³, cocaine⁴, or ecstasy⁵. We mean medicines - the drugs that you take on doctors’ orders, because you are sick. People spend money buying these drugs, these medicines. They need them to get well. So, imagine how terrible it is if they discover their drugs are not real. Somebody has sold them false copies of the real drugs. The copies are called ‘counterfeits’ or ‘fakes’. Usually, they simply do not work. But sometimes they are dangerous.
Voice 2
Doctor Dora Nkem Akunyili is an expert in the drugs industry. She has seen the tragic⁸ results of fake⁷ drugs. Here is her story:
Voice 3
‘In 1986 my sister, Vivian, developed the condition ‘diabetes’. She began injecting insulin to control her blood sugar level. But then, she stopped reacting to the insulin. The doctors and family were unsure why this happened. (Her health continued to worsen. She developed more health problems.) Doctors gave her antibiotic⁹ drugs. But they did not cure her. She died in January 1988. We learned¹⁰ that she died from the use of fake insulin. We were all (terribly shocked and troubled). The pain of her loss will remain with me all my life. She was the best in our family.’
Voice 1
This is a tragic story. And sadly, Akunyili says that it is one of many. Akunyili is now doing everything in her power to stop counterfeit⁶ and fake drugs.
Voice 2
In Akunyili’s native country of Nigeria, local people call her Doctor Dora. She is the Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency¹¹ for Drug and Food Administration¹² - or NAFDAC. She took this job in 2001. And she was shocked at her findings¹³. At that time there were no effective rules for food and drugs in Nigeria. This permitted all the false drugs to get on to the market. Akunyili and her team discovered that almost seventy percent of drugs in Nigerian markets were fake or counterfeit. These drugs contained little or nothing that could cure a person. Or some of the drugs had passed their ‘use by’ date. Drug suppliers simply put new, wrong, dates on them. Nigeria’s hospitals contained fake equipment. Doctors were trying to re-start hearts, without knowing they were using false drugs! Counterfeit and fake drugs have led to tens of thousands of deaths in Nigeria.
Voice 1
So how did the situation get this bad? Well firstly in Nigeria it is extremely hard to be an honest worker in the drug supply industry. Dishonest importers simply pay money to get their products onto the market. People who try and resist such methods often suffer. They suffer from threats and physical attacks.
Voice 2
A lack of knowledge has also worsened the situation. Many people simply do not know they are using false drugs. This includes members of the public and health workers. Some counterfeit drugs appear very similar to the real drugs. It can be difficult even for the real drug producers to know the difference. Many people find out when it is too late. Another factor lies with the exporting countries. Many of them do not control drug exports closely¹⁴. Laws against drug counterfeiters are weak. Criminals can make a lot of money without a lot of risk.
Voice 1
So who is responsible for these counterfeit drugs? Dishonest Nigerian drug suppliers work with people in different parts of the world - especially India and China. Akunyili’s organisation¹⁵ has banned thirty Indian and Chinese companies. These companies are no longer able to export their drugs into Nigeria.
Voice 2
Akunyili and her team have a hard job to do. Akunyili walked into a drug industry full of dishonesty. So she decided¹⁶ to change the organisation’s way of thinking. She said,
Voice 3
‘My first step was to change the way of thinking of the NAFDAC workers. It was a cultural revolution. We made plans to fight drug counterfeiting¹⁷ and other product faking. I made sure that our laws and methods could not be compromised¹⁸.’
Voice 2
NAFDAC has taken and destroyed counterfeit drugs worth sixteen million [16,000,000] dollars People all over the world recognise Akunyili’s efforts. In 2005 the Human Rights Defence Organisation gave Akunyili an award. It was the ‘Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award’. But Akunyili’s work does have a high personal risk. She is on the front line of the counterfeit drugs war. And counterfeiters know her name. They are fighting back. They have burnt down NAFDAC’s offices. They have threatened to kill Akunyili and her children. They have even shot her in her car. Akunyili said,
Voice 3
‘My family lives in fear about their lives - especially about me. My youngest son was threatened in school. He feared for his life. So, he told people that I am only a relation - not his mother. My husband is a doctor. He also lives in fear. He has security¹⁹ around him twenty-four hours a day. As for me, I do not have a social life. Police and security surround me the whole time. I am very careful wherever I go. There are always criminals watching my moves. My husband deals with the (worry) through sport - he plays tennis. I deal with mine by praying continuously.’
Voice 2
The problem of counterfeit drugs is not only in Nigeria. It is not only in developing countries. It is a problem in many parts of the world - including Britain and the United States. Akunyili says that international action is needed. She said,
Voice 3
‘(Removing) counterfeit drugs should be treated as an international health emergency.’
Voice 1
Akunyili says that increasing public knowledge has produced big results in Nigeria. Many true drug companies fear losing business if news of fake drugs becomes public. But Akunyili urges nations to be more open and honest. People’s lives are at risk. She points out that making the problems public will help the true drug companies in the end. People will be surer that the drugs they take are safe. This can only be good for the drug industry and for sick people. It is a fight that Dora Akunyili knows is worth it.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

3 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

4 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

5 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

6 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

7 fake   

vt.伪造，造假，假装；n.假货，赝品

参考例句：

• He can tell a fake from the original.他能分辨出赝品和真品。
• You can easily fake up an excuse to avoid going out with him.你可以很容易地编造一个借口而不与他一同外出。

8 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

9 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

10 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

11 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

12 administration   

n.经营，管理；行政，行政机关，管理部门

参考例句：

• Who is in charge of the administration of your company?你们公司的行政工作由谁负责？
• The teachers are responsible to the school administration.教师向学校行政负责。

13 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

14 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

15 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

18 compromised   

[医]妥协，让步的，缺乏抵抗力的，缺乏免疫力的，妥协的

参考例句：

• They compromised by going to the cinema. 他们采取折中的办法去看电影。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has compromised with its critics over monetary policies. 政府已经就货币政策向批评人士作出让步。 来自辞典例句

19 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。