VOA标准英语2008年-WHO Warns of Growing Need for Mental Health Ser

By Stephanie Ho
Beijing
20 June 2008

The World Health Organization is praising the Chinese government for taking immediate¹ steps to halt the outbreak of infectious diseases in the aftermath of the huge earthquake that struck southwestern Sichuan province in May. At the same time, the international health body warns of a growing demand for mental health care. Stephanie Ho has more on the story from Beijing.
　

More than a million people could be at risk if lake overflows2 as result of flooding, strong aftershocks

The World Health Organization's China representative Hans Troedsson recently visited the quake disaster area and praised the Chinese government for taking steps to prevent major outbreaks of infectious diseases.

"One of the reasons for that is clearly that at a very early stage, the affected³ population was provided with safe water, electricity, shelter and sanitation⁴ facilities, which we know are the main routes for transmission," he said.

At the same time, he says the Chinese Ministry⁵ of Health has asked the WHO to provide specific support for dealing⁶ with mental health.

"What we know is people who have gone through something like this will have some kind of need of psycho-social support," said Troedsson.

He says most of the time, the solutions are relatively⁷ simple and involve a person returning to as much of a normal life as possible. At the same time, he says it is usually the case that up to 10 percent of the affected population will need professional mental health services.

Meanwhile, the WHO also is in the process of consulting with the Chinese government on rebuilding hospitals to withstand future natural disasters.

WHO engineering consultant⁸ Tony Gibbs said there are ways to make medical buildings structurally⁹ safer, and only add less than five percent to the cost of construction.

"None of these things can be introduced after the start of design," he said. "You have to make a policy decision at the beginning of the design, before, at the first thinking of the design, that this is what we're going to do."

WHO experts who recently visited the quake zone, are preparing to present their suggestions to the Chinese government.

WHO public health expert Angela Merianos said she was most struck by how Chinese health authorities coped with not being able to rely on their Internet-based epidemic¹⁰ tracking system.

"Because the communications infrastructure¹¹ was damaged after the earthquake, they set up - very, very quickly - quite an innovative¹² new approach that involved reporting using mobile phones," said Merianos.

She says this mobile phone reporting system is the reason Chinese authorities are confident they did not miss any significant outbreaks.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 overflows   

v.溢出，淹没( overflow的第三人称单数 )；充满；挤满了人；扩展出界，过度延伸

参考例句：

• He always fills his glass till it overflows. 他总是把杯子斟得很满。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A distributary overflows its banks. 分流水溢出河岸。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

5 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。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

9 structurally   

在结构上

参考例句：

• The house roof was (structurally) unsound. 这屋顶（结构）不牢固。
• Pinhole on shot-hole damage is never structurally significant. 针孔和蛀洞所造成的危害对结构的影响不大。

10 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。