VOA标准英语2009年-Conference Calls for Safer Hospitals in De

By Selah Hennessy
London
14 October 2009

Wednesday is International Day for Disaster Reduction and a conference in London is tackling an often overlooked issue - how to make hospitals safer.

When emergencies take place attention is often focused on immediate¹ relief: making sure water, food, and medical treatment are available. But what happens when hospitals have been washed away by floods or turned to rubble² in an earthquake?

At the conference, health-sector³ officials from around the world came together to try to find ways to make hospitals safer and stronger so that when disasters happen, health facilities will be more resilient.

The event was attended not only by doctors, nurses, and delegates from international aid groups, but also by people from outside the health sector - planners, architects and engineers who talked about ways of building hospitals in such a way that they would be ready for an emergency.

U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Deputy Director Helena Molin-Valdes told VOA health facilities need to be at the center of disaster relief.

"Health and hospitals are basic areas of well being, lets say, that when a major disaster or a smaller disaster occurs, if you do not have health facilities that function and can respond to the needs you create yet another level of disaster," she said.

A look at some of the major natural disasters in recent years makes clear that health facilities are vulnerable. According to the Ministry⁴ of Health, the Asian Tsunami⁵ in 2004 swept away or damaged almost two-thirds of health clinics in one Indonesian province. A cyclone⁶ in Burma in 2008 destroyed one in five hospitals.

The World Health Organization says there are at least 90,000 health facilities in the world's 49 least developed countries. The majority, it says, are vulnerable to disaster.

Molin-Valdes says the problem in many developing countries is that even basic health facilities are not in place.

"We have to improve health care in general for everyday need[s] and everyday purposes and if it does not work on an everyday basis of course in a crisis or in a disaster it is not going to suddenly work better," she said.

She says health facilities are a fundamental part of community life and it is important they are designed to be useful in case of emergency.

"It is the health facility which is becoming in many occasions the center of community confidence, let us say, and community gathering⁷ as well," said Molin-Valdes. "When it comes to now vaccinations⁸ and immunization programs et cetera. In many many communities it is the health workers that goes house by house and actually creates a network of well-being⁹ among the population."

In the past decade an average of almost 400 events each year have met the U.N. criteria¹⁰ for a natural disaster. In 2008 natural disasters took more than 235,000 lives and cost the world an estimated $200 billion. 

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 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

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 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

6 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

10 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。