VOA慢速英语2014 移动健康应用成为第一道防线-

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-11 Mobile Health Apps to Become First Line of Defense¹ 移动健康应用成为第一道防线-

The first line of defense against deadly diseases and even water shortages might just be your mobile telephone. A new software application combines health worker registries with information about patients and open messaging systems. The app, called mHero, helps to make sure of a fast response to health care crises and natural disasters.

mHero stands for Mobile Health Worker Electronic Response and Outreach. It uses a revolutionary new messaging platform called RapidPro. The system uses ‘trigger’ words to contact specialized² workers if a disease like Ebola is discovered. It also helps users to follow the progress of the people they reached and create real-time data based on their responses.

The new app was created in Uganda. A month ago, the country has a number of cases of Marburg, a viral hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola.

Sean Blaschke is a health systems specialist at UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. He explains how Uganda has excelled in providing quick containment³.

“You can see with the case of Marburg here how quickly the country mobilized, and suspected cases were followed up in hours and it didn’t move beyond a single index patient. So I think Uganda really does show and provide a model for the rest of the world on how you can build a national sustainable health systems architecture…We are very excited because these tools that are now being scaled up in West Africa, originated in Uganda, were built by Ugandans…These solutions came from Africa and are being used in Africa.”                                    

The Ugandan Ministry⁴ of Health says that in the next three months, mHero systems will be deployed⁵ around the country. mHero has wide application since it can present language and reading ability differences by using picture-based references.

Nimrod Wandera, a software developer, explains how those with little or no experience using smart phones and apps were trained in mHero.

“So we thought about the app as a box. so we made a box out of hard paper, and that box was covered and on top of it was the name of the app. So you have a box and then you tell someone, when I give you the phone I’m giving you a box, and that box has things in it…what we call features were small boxes inside that box…and there they find mother reminders⁶, they find household surveys…when we give them back the phone life was much simpler, they could click through, they could understand that now I can go out of this box, and into the bigger box…this is real stuff. ”

To access these databases, registered healthcare workers, NGOs and medical clinics must first contact the Ministry of Health.  Approval to use the records comes shortly after.

There are also measures in place to ensure patient medical records are kept confidential⁷. Officials are hoping that mHero, and apps like it, bring a new level of crisis management throughout the African continent.

Words in this Story

revolutionary – adj. causing or relating to a great or complete change

excel – v. to be better than others

access – n. permission or the right to enter or make use of something or to have contact with someone

confidential – adj. secret or private

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

3 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

7 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。