VOA慢速英语2010年-Health Report - WHO Says Health Debts

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
The World Health Organization says the rising cost of health care is a struggle for people and governments around the world.
The problem is greatest in countries where people must often pay directly for services. A new report says these costs push one hundred million people into poverty each year.
Aging populations are one reason why health costs are rising. Also, more people are getting chronic¹ diseases like diabetes² and heart disease that require long-term treatment. And new treatments for health conditions are more costly³ than old ones.
This year's "World Health Report" offers guidelines⁴ to strengthen health financing⁵ systems and make services available to more people.
The report says about one billion people do not get the care they need because it costs too much or it is unavailable.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says no one should have to risk financial ruin to take care of their health. David Evans agrees. He is the director of health systems financing for the WHO, which is part of the United Nations.
DAVID EVANS: "But what the report says, it’s not just not acceptable⁶, but it’s not necessary. Something could be done and something can be done about it now."A mother with her young child The report says one thing governments can do is provide more money for health care. For example, ten years ago, African leaders agreed to spend fifteen percent of government funds on health. So far, only Liberia, Rwanda and Tanzania have met that goal.
The report says governments could also raise money more fairly and spend it more wisely. David Evans says several countries are doing this.
DAVID EVANS: "Gabon is a low-income country. It has introduced a tax on financial transactions⁷ and that is going to help. If Gabon can do something like that, other countries can do it.
"In terms of financial risk protection, Thailand has introduced health insurance for everyone. And that health insurance is tax-funded, particularly for the poor, so that what happens is the insurance now pays the cost that the people would have paid previously⁸ out of their own pockets."The WHO says smarter spending could reduce health care costs between twenty and forty percent. The report identifies ten areas where better policies and practices could make health systems more efficient.
One area is in the purchase of medicines. The report says higher-priced drugs are often chosen even when lower-priced medicines of the same quality are available. Also, medicines can go to waste simply because the right storage is not available.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Shirley Griffith.

1 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。

2 diabetes   

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。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

5 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

6 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

7 transactions   

处理( transaction的名词复数 )； 事务； （一笔）交易； [复数]（学术团体等的）议事录

参考例句：

• a system of paperless business transactions 无纸商业交易系统
• financial transactions between companies 公司之间的财务往来

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。