IN THE NEWS - AIDS Conference

IN THE NEWS -July 13, 2002: AIDS Conference

By Cynthia Kirk
Broadcast: July 13, 2002
This is Bob Doughty¹ with the VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS.

 

A new report says that the disease AIDS will cause a sharp drop in life expectancy² in fifty-one
countries by the year Two-Thousand -Ten. A study by the United States Census³ Bureau was
released during the International AIDS Conference this week in Barcelona, Spain. Experts say
several nations are losing one-hundred years of progress in extending the length of life of their
citizens.

AIDS has killed more than twenty -million people around the world. Experts say about forty -million people are
infected with H-I-V, the virus that causes AIDS. More than six-million people are infected in Asian countries.
Most of them live in India, China and Indonesia. AIDS is also spreading quickly in Russia, Latin America and
the Caribbean. But Africa has been hardest hit by the disease. Almost thirty-million people are infected with the
virus.

Seven countries in southern Africa now have life expectancies⁴ of less than forty years. For example, in Botswana,
life expectancy is thirty-nine years. By Two-Thousand-Ten, it could be less than twenty-seven years.
Mozambique is expected to have a similar reduction in life expectancy. Lives would also be shortened in other
southern African countries. Without AIDS, officials say the average life expectancy in southern Africa by Two-
Thousand -Ten would have been about seventy years.

There are also many more babies dying from AIDS in southern Africa. Researchers say that in Botswana,
Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, more babies will die from AIDS by Two-Thousand-Ten than from all
other causes.

American Census Bureau official Karen Stanecki says there soon will be more deaths than births in southern
African countries because of AIDS. She says as adults die, millions of children will grow up without parents.

A United Nations report says about thirteen-million children have already lost one or both parents to AIDS in
eighty-eight countries. Most of these orphans⁵ live in southern African countries. The report estimates that there
will be at least twenty-five million AIDS orphans by Two-Thousand -Ten.

Some non-governmental organizations say that number is far too low. They say there will be almost one hundred-
million orphans by Two -Thousand -Ten.

Carol Bellamy is the director of the United Nations Children’s Fund. She says AIDS orphans face many
problems, even if they are not infected. They are often mistreated by the communities, forced out of school, and
sometimes become targets for illegal activities. She says girls are the group most at risk.

AIDS officials say ten-thousand-million dollars is needed each year for research, treatment and care for people
with AIDS. Yet, they say wealthy nations have agreed to pay less than one-third of that amount.

This VOA Special English IN THE NEWS was written by Cynthia Kirk in Barcelona. This is Bob Doughty.

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1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

4 expectancies   

期待，期望( expectancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each of us came with his own expectancies. 我们每个人都有自己的希望。
• In fact, modern lifestyles are actually exacerbating the gap between male and female life expectancies. 实际上，现代生活方式确实加大了男女寿命差别的鸿沟。

5 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。