HEALTH REPORT - Number of Americans Living with H.I.V. Estim

HEALTH REPORT - Number of Americans Living with H.I.V. Estimated² Above 1 Million
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, June 15, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

 
Logo of the United States AIDS Office
There are new estimates³ of the number of Americans with the virus that causes AIDS. Government researchers say more than one million were living with H.I.V. at the end of two thousand three. Health officials gave a report on June thirteenth at the National H.I.V. Prevention Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Centers for Disease⁴ Control and Prevention set a goal in two thousand one to cut the rate of new infections in half. That goal has not been met. But a C.D.C. official, Doctor Ronald Valdiserri, said researchers do think they are making progress.

Doctor Carlos del Rio of Emory University in Atlanta, however, suggested that prevention efforts have failed. He says there may be as many as sixty thousand new cases per year. In recent years, the number has been estimated at forty thousand.

Almost half of those infected are believed to be men who have sex with other men. And, researchers say, almost half are black.

People who are infected with H.I.V. often do not know it. There are no cures. But drug treatments can delay the progress of H.I.V. into AIDS. AIDS leaves a person defenseless against disease.

One of the Millennium⁵ Development Goals of the United Nations is to halt⁶ the spread of H.I.V. by two thousand fifteen. Earlier this year, Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted⁷ progress by some countries. But he also noted that there were more new infections and more AIDS-related deaths last year than ever before.

Mister⁸ Annan said treatment and prevention efforts were "nowhere near enough." He said only twelve percent of the people in need of treatments in low- and middle-income countries were receiving them.

Researchers estimate¹ that about forty million people worldwide are living with H.I.V. They estimate that every day more than eight thousand people die from AIDS-related conditions.

About half of all people living with H.I.V. are women. And about half of new infections are in young adults.

Southern Africa is the area hardest hit by H.I.V. and AIDS.

The United States says it continues to support treatment for more people than any other giver in the world. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief supports treatment programs in fifteen countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The goal is to help two million people by the end of two thousand eight.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk.  I'm Gwen Outen.

1 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

2 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

3 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

6 halt   

n.停住，停止，暂停；v.(使)停住，(使)停止

参考例句：

• When the children's play got too noisy, their mother called a halt.当孩子们的游戏过于吵闹时，他们的母亲叫他们停下来。
• No one can halt the advance of history.没人能阻挡历史的前进。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。