VOA标准英语2013--More Resources Are Needed for Pediatric AIDS

 

More Resources Are Needed for Pediatric AIDS

In recent years, in developing countries, adults infected with HIV have had greater access to treatment. But UNAIDS says children still lag behind in accessing antiretroviral drugs, especially those formulated² just for children. It warns that most who go untreated will die by their fifth birthday.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation says progress is being made in preventing new infections in children. It says there’s been a 24 percent reduction in new infections since 2009. Much of that is due to providing antiretrovirals to more HIV positive pregnant women.

Nevertheless, there’s much more to be done.

“We still have way too many children being infected and just in sub-Saharan Africa last year there were 300,000 kids with new infections. That’s way too many. So, we have the new infections and we’re having problems in identifying those kids and getting them on treatment early enough,” said Mary Pat Kiefer, the foundation’s senior director for technical leadership.

It’s estimated that globally only 28 percent of children needing HIV treatment received it in 2011. Kiefer says part of the problem lies in many African health care systems, which are not able to link children of HIV positive women to the right services.

“I would say overall that we’re able to identify maybe 50 percent of those HIV exposed kids and test them. Very often the mothers will bring their kids for services at a different place than where the mother received her services during pregnancy³. And we still then have problems with the quality of services in some of the facilities and making sure we have everything in a place and can provide the services to the kids,” she said.

Treating a child with HIV is not simply a matter of providing a lower dose of adult medication. It must be specially¹ formulated for a child’s body.

Kiefer said, “The situation with pediatric drugs is better, but we still don’t have enough drugs for children. And we don’t have drugs that are easy to administer. We have syrups⁴, which are heavy and messy and they taste terrible. I know that some of the drug companies are looking at sprinkles, at different ways of delivering the drugs, but it still is a big problem. For older children we can give them the child doses of the three drugs in a tablet form and that’s much easier. The infants it’s still a big problem.”

She said that as the number of infected infants goes down, the pharmaceutical⁵ companies have less incentive⁶ to develop new drugs for children. That’s because developing the drugs is expensive and the return on investment may be small.

“There is still a lot of pressure being put on the pharmaceutical companies because we need better drugs. We need to test more drugs in children; and we definitely need new ways to administer the drugs so that it’s palatable⁷ and easy for the caregivers to give to the children,” she said.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation focuses much of its work on preventing pediatric AIDS in the first place. That starts with treating HIV positive pregnant women. Kiefer says the top of the line treatment is now a three drug regimen, but a two drug regimen is still widely used.

“What is going away is the use of just what was called single dose navirapine -- so just the drug that you give the mother and the baby at delivery. And the drugs that we have now are covering the women earlier in pregnancy and all the way through the breastfeeding period. So we can address all the range of transmission that occurs for the children,” she said.

But Kiefer said that drugs alone won’t solve the problem. She added more attention must be paid to maternal⁸ and child health and improving healthcare systems.

“The resources have to be allocated⁹ so that we have the health workers we need -- that they can get the equipment and supplies that they need. The HIV epidemic¹⁰ has been around now for 30 years and we still have major stock-outs of HIV test kits¹¹ in countries.”

The foundation receives much of its funding from PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Kiefer said PEPFAR officials warn that funding for next year could be tighter due to the ongoing¹² budget battle in the U.S.

Since 2009, six African countries have led the way in reducing new infections among infants by more than 40 percent. Namibia was at the top of the list with a 60 percent reduction.

1 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

2 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

4 syrups   

n.糖浆，糖汁( syrup的名词复数 )；糖浆类药品

参考例句：

• A variety of cocktails were created all using Monin syrups and purees. 我们用莫林糖浆和果泥创作了许多鸡尾酒。 来自互联网
• Other applications include fruit juices, flavors, and sugar syrups. 其它的应用包括水果汁、香精和糖浆。 来自互联网

5 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

6 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

7 palatable   

adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的

参考例句：

• The truth is not always very palatable.事实真相并非尽如人意。
• This wine is palatable and not very expensive.这种酒味道不错，价钱也不算贵。

8 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

9 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

10 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。

11 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。