VOA标准英语2009年-Study Finds Old Attitudes Endanger Hea

Zimbabwe asylum¹ seekers in South Africa encounter border violence, rape², crime, communicable diseases, and fears of deportation³

Howard Lesser⁴ | Washington 08 December 2009

According to a new study, healthcare professionals are jeopardizing⁵ South Africa’s population by denying treatment to asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants.  The research, conducted by Human Rights Watch, outlines medical care rights that South African law guarantees to foreign-born residents.  But it also describes how harassment⁶, a lack of documentation, and threats of deportation discourage many newcomers from seeking treatment. 

Zimbabwe mother and child with AIDS

The report cites xenophobic tensions and systematic⁷ discrimination by medical professionals and in South African society and recommends reforms to improve the situation.  Researcher Rebecca Shaeffer with the health and human rights division of Human Rights Watch helped compile data for the 89-page report.  Speaking in Johannesburg, she explains that communicable diseases like tuberculosis⁸ and a lack of treatment for thousands of rape victims who routinely cross the border from Zimbabwe pose the greatest threats.
   
“South Africa has long suffered from a sort of denialism and a failure to adequately budget for its extremely high rate of communicable disease, especially HIV and TB.  TB, which is generally a curable illness, is the leading cause of death in South Africa, and because the leading causes of death in South Africa are communicable and are usually treatable and yet largely untreated in South Africa, it literally⁹ cannot afford to be leaving out from prevention and treatment campaigns the most vulnerable members of its society,” she cautioned. Airborne diseases like tuberculosis when not treated particularly jeopardize¹⁰ concentrated population centers where they are easily spread.  Shaeffer points out that many migrants, especially those who are undocumented and those who have crossed the border from Zimbabwe, are fearful of coming forward to seek treatment because of concerns they might be deported¹¹.
   
“Some South African hospitals interpret the law in such a way that they require rape survivors¹² to go and make a police report about the rape before they are able to get emergency health care that keeps them from getting HIV as a result of their rape.  There’s only a 72-hour window in which this medication works to block transmission, and for many migrants, especially those who are undocumented, those who are from Zimbabwe, they are fearful of talking to police. They’re afraid they are going to be deported,” she notes. Among the report’s recommended reforms, Shaeffer lists government implementation¹³ of a planned but postponed¹⁴ special dispensation permit for Zimbabweans to ease their fear of deportation.
“Since April, this program has not been implemented¹⁵, and the majority of Zimbabweans are still crossing into the country in an illegal manner.  Furthermore, South Africa has longstanding problems in its asylum seeking refugee systems. It doesn’t properly document asylum seekers and refugees, and there are serious and repeated reports that even documented asylum seekers and refugees are sometimes subject to arbitrary deportation and arrest. So it really needs to stop arresting and deporting¹⁶ people this year legally,” she points out.

 

Zimbabwe migrants gathered in South Africa near the border crossing.
Other recommendations include enhancement of police protection for migrants from criminals near the Zimbabwe border and from xenophobic violence throughout South Africa.  Shaeffer suggests that opportunistic crimes committed near the South Africa-Zimbabwe border may be difficult to investigate.
   
“The perpetrators may be on both sides of the border, for example.  And also, victims need to be assured that they won’t be deported if they cooperate with the investigation,” she said.
Musina at Zimbabwe's southern border with South Africa

Another helpful measure would be the start of cross-border initiatives to help standardize¹⁷ medical records, prescriptions¹⁸ and dosages for medications, and regularize treatment regimes for people who are fighting off HIV.
“Doctors in different countries may be using slightly different drugs that can be confusing to doctors in the new country.  They can also develop programs like treatment passports that allow doctors in one country to see what kind of treatment the person has been receiving on the other side of the border.  They can also distribute maps of locations where people can pick up medications for chronic¹⁹ diseases like HIV and TB,” she noted²⁰. Although some South African localities are working to promote these innovations, Rebecca Shaeffer says that international humanitarian²¹ organizations are providing the primary push to bring about a more regional approach to better health care in southern Africa.

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

4 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

5 jeopardizing   

危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Plans may also become inefficient in the attainment of objectives by jeopardizing group satisfactions. 用危及群体利益方法去达到目标的计划，也是无效率的。
• That boosted government revenues in the short term, but is now jeopardizing them. Morales将天然气工业，电信业和部分采矿业收归国有的举措吓跑了投资者们。

6 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

7 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

8 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。

9 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

10 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

11 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

14 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

15 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

16 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

17 standardize   

v.使符合标准，使标准化

参考例句：

• We will extend and standardize legal services and provide effective legal aid.拓展和规范法律服务，积极开展法律援助。
• There is a drive both to standardise components and to reduce the number of models on offer.正在为实现零部件标准化和减少推出的型号数量而努力。

18 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。

19 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

20 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

21 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。