世卫发布新型治疗肺结核的方法:更快更便宜

AS IT IS 2016-05-30 WHO Advises Faster, Cheaper Treatment for Tuberculosis¹ 世卫发布新型治疗肺结核的方法:更快更便宜

The World Health Organization is proposing a new way to fight the disease multi-drug resistant² tuberculosis.

WHO officials say the new treatment costs less and is easier to use than other treatments. They also say it could save the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Tuberculosis (TB) mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause the disease can develop resistance to the two most powerful anti-TB drugs. This has led to the development and spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

Multi-drug resistant TB infects nearly 500,00 men, women and children every year. Each year, about 190,000 of those who develop this kind of the disease die.

WHO officials say the death rate is high because fewer than 20 percent of the patients are getting the right form of treatment.

Mario Raviglione is the director of the WHO's global tuberculosis program. He said the new test and treatment program will help people who have multi-drug resistant TB.

"These two new recommendations from WHO enable MDR-TB patients one, to benefit from a test that will quickly identify who is eligible³ for the shorter MDR-TB treatment regimen; and two, complete treatment in half the time at nearly half the cost of today."

The new test can show in just 24 to 48 hours whether someone has the disease. The test that is used now may not give results for three months or longer.

The shorter treatment program costs less than $1,000 per patient and can be completed in nine to 12 months. Current treatment programs for people with multi-drug resistant TB cost $1,500 to $3,000 and take between 18 and 24 months to complete.

Reviglione said that worldwide about 50 percent of those receiving the longer and more-costly treatment are cured. He said those who are not cured either die or can live with the disease for years. He says about one-fourth of patients stop the treatment before it is completed.

"They abandon treatment because the treatment lasts, as you probably know, up to two years, with drugs that we all know are fairly toxic⁴ in a way. They have side effects and they are not really liked by patients who have to take them."

WHO officials said there are about 400 laboratories in developing countries that can use the new test and treatment program. So, officials believe, most people suffering from MDR-TB will be able to be treated using the faster, less-costly method.

Words in This Story

tuberculosis – n. a serious disease that mainly affects the lungs

resistant – adj. not affected⁵ or harmed by something (usually used in combination with another word)

recommendation – n. the act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to be chosen

enable – v. to make (someone or something) able to do or to be something

eligible – adj. able to be chosen for something; able to do or receive something (often + for)

regimen – n. a plan or set of rules about food, exercise, etc., to make someone become or stay healthy (often + of)

abandon – v. to stop doing or having (something); to give up (doing something) completely

fairly – adv. to some degree or extent but not very or extremely; to a reasonable or moderate extent

toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances

side effect – n. an often harmful and unwanted effect of a drug or chemical that occurs along with the desired effect

1 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。

2 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

3 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

4 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。