VOA常速英语2007-Developing Countries Facing Wider Range of Healt

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
29 October 2007

Officials with the Global Forum¹ for Health Research say developing countries face a widening range of health problems due to changes in lifestyle. The officials say developing countries need to improve access to health care for the poor to prevent deaths from non-communicable diseases. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

The head of the Global Forum for Health Research, Stephen Matlin, says the health problems that developing countries face have changed enormously in the past 10 years.

He says in the past infectious diseases such as malaria² and tuberculosis³ caused the most health problems. Now, developing nations are seeing massive growth in non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer and mental illness.

"In fact, in many developing countries, including China and India, two of the most populous⁴ countries in the world, these are now the main sources of illness and death in the population," said Matlin.

Matlin was speaking at the beginning of the health forum's annual meeting, being held this week in Beijing.

He said the only exception to the trend was in Africa where malaria and TB are still major killers⁵ and are becoming more resistant⁶ to the drugs used to fight them.

Matlin says non-communicable diseases are caused mainly by changes in lifestyle and environment as diets have become less healthy and the rural poor have moved into crowded and polluted cities. And the poor still have inadequate⁷ access to medical care.

He says although funding for health research worldwide has grown dramatically in the past 20 years, only a fraction is spent on fighting disease in poor nations.

Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu told the forum that developing countries like China are doing their best but need international support.

"Developed countries should provide necessary technological⁸ and financial assistance to the developing countries, conduct more research on public health problems of developing countries, and improve their public health service capacity," said Chen.

More than 800 participants from 80 nations are taking part in the forum's discussions, which are aimed at bringing equitable⁹ health care for the world's poor.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

3 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。

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

5 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

6 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。

7 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

8 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

9 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。