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VOA标准英语2012--Epilepsy Burdens Developing Countries

时间:2012-10-03 10:43来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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Epilepsy Burdens Developing Countries

Developing countries are seeing rising rates of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes1, cancer and cardiovascular disease. But researchers say those countries already have a disproportionate number of epilepsy cases compared to richer nations.

Researchers say despite epilepsy being “one of the most cost-effective disorders3 to treat,” developing nations carry a “heavy burden.” Twice as many people with epilepsy live in low and middle income countries.

The findings appear in The Lancet medical journal. Oxford4 University Psychiatry5 Professor Charles Newton is the lead author. He spends much of his time in Kenya and Tanzania in the Wellcome Trust programs.

“Epilepsy is a condition in which there is an excessive neuronal or electrical discharge within the brain causing the person to develop abnormal movements or impaired6 consciousness or even in some cases abnormal sensations,” he said.

Epilepsy is an umbrella term for a condition that has many causes and can happen at any age.

“It can be inherited. It can have other genetic7 causes. It can be cause by infections, birth trauma8, head injury and even such things as stroke and brain tumors,” he said.

Newton said that in Africa birth trauma often results from poor obstetrical care. And brain infections can result from such diseases as bacterial9 meningitis and malaria10, among others. The disease also takes many forms.

“You can have people staring blankly into space very frequently during the day. People having funny sensations, such as hallucinations, or people who fall down completely unconscious, go stiff, and then start convulsing, shaking on the ground, often wetting themselves,” he said.

Those with epilepsy can also have a much higher mortality rate. For example, a person having a seizure11 may become unconscious and be more vulnerable to falling, fires or work accidents.

Epilepsy is an age-old health problem. The Epilepsy Therapy Project says the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote the first book about it in 400 B.C. He attempted to dispel12 myths, describing it as a brain disorder2. Despite that early insight, those with epilepsy have faced stigma13 and discrimination. The affliction, at times, has been described as being the result of witchcraft14, not only in the past, but the present.

Newtown said stigma and discrimination give people with epilepsy less of a chance of getting an education, a job or even getting married. Their families are also often shunned15. He said it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Epilepsy is controllable with relatively16 inexpensive drugs. So [for] between five and ten U.S. dollars a year one could control seizures17 or reduce the seizures in about 70 percent of the people with epilepsy,” he said.

The most common drug used to treat epilepsy in Africa in phenobarbital. It does have side effects, though, such as hyperactivity and skin rashes in children and drowsiness18 in adults. Newer drugs have been developed in recent years.

“The problem is that they’re all very expensive and they’re not really accessible to people living in poor areas. So I think that our emphasis in poor areas is trying to get access to the drugs which are well established and that are relatively inexpensive, and that we know what their side effects are,” he said.

But Newton and his colleagues sid besides making medicine more available, more should be done to educate and prevent epilepsy.

“The first thing,” he said, “is to sensitize communities in order to recognize that people who have epilepsy often don’t know that they have epilepsy -- and if they do know that they have epilepsy, don’t know that it can actually be controlled by medical treatment.”

Newton said that if obstetric care were improved, if brain infections could be avoided through better sanitation19 and other efforts, if greater protection was used to avoid head trauma, up to 50 percent of epilepsy cases in parts of Africa could be prevented. He called on the United Nations to include epilepsy on its list of non-communicable diseases that demand more attention. 

The World Health Organization reports that epilepsy "is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national nor geographic20 boundaries." The WHO says, "There are over 50 million sufferers in the world today, 85 percent of whom live in developing countries." There are nearly two and a half million new cases each year.


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1 diabetes uPnzu     
n.糖尿病
参考例句:
  • In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者,医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
  • Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。
2 disorder Et1x4     
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调
参考例句:
  • When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后,他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
  • It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
3 disorders 6e49dcafe3638183c823d3aa5b12b010     
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调
参考例句:
  • Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告,厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 Oxford Wmmz0a     
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。
5 psychiatry g0Jze     
n.精神病学,精神病疗法
参考例句:
  • The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
  • A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。
6 impaired sqtzdr     
adj.受损的;出毛病的;有(身体或智力)缺陷的v.损害,削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
7 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
8 trauma TJIzJ     
n.外伤,精神创伤
参考例句:
  • Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
  • The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。
9 bacterial dy5z8q     
a.细菌的
参考例句:
  • Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间,细菌繁殖加快了。
  • Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。
10 malaria B2xyb     
n.疟疾
参考例句:
  • He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
  • Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。
11 seizure FsSyO     
n.没收;占有;抵押
参考例句:
  • The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
  • The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。
12 dispel XtQx0     
vt.驱走,驱散,消除
参考例句:
  • I tried in vain to dispel her misgivings.我试图消除她的疑虑,但没有成功。
  • We hope the programme will dispel certain misconceptions about the disease.我们希望这个节目能消除对这种疾病的一些误解。
13 stigma WG2z4     
n.耻辱,污名;(花的)柱头
参考例句:
  • Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
  • The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。
14 witchcraft pe7zD7     
n.魔法,巫术
参考例句:
  • The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
  • All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。
15 shunned bcd48f012d0befb1223f8e35a7516d0e     
v.避开,回避,避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
  • He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人,总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
17 seizures d68658a6ccfd246a0e750fdc12689d94     
n.起获( seizure的名词复数 );没收;充公;起获的赃物
参考例句:
  • Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因,有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句
18 drowsiness 420d2bd92d26d6690d758ae67fc31048     
n.睡意;嗜睡
参考例句:
  • A feeling of drowsiness crept over him. 一种昏昏欲睡的感觉逐渐袭扰着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This decision reached, he finally felt a placid drowsiness steal over him. 想到这,来了一点平安的睡意。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
19 sanitation GYgxE     
n.公共卫生,环境卫生,卫生设备
参考例句:
  • The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看,这个地段非常糟糕。
  • Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。
20 geographic tgsxb     
adj.地理学的,地理的
参考例句:
  • The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
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