VOA标准英语2014--US Launches Global Effort to Bolster Outbreak Preparedness 全球应对疫情爆发的努力

US Launches Global Effort to Bolster¹ Outbreak Preparedness 全球应对疫情爆发的努力

Controlling disease outbreaks that threaten global public health is the goal of a new, 26-nation partnership² launched in Washington. The United States is leading a group of countries and international organizations to help improve the world’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

When a lethal³ Ebola outbreak struck in 2012, Muslims in the Democratic Republic of Congo were barred from the Hajj pilgrimage.

In 2003, SARS leapt from China to more than two dozen countries with alarming speed.

Disease outbreaks anywhere are just a plane ride away in a globalized world, says U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

“Microbes and diseases are moving faster and farther than ever. And one thing we know for certain: they do not recognize or stop at national borders," said Sebelius.

And - she adds -  most countries are woefully underprepared for an outbreak.

So the United States has convened⁴ a group of low, middle and high-income countries in a joint⁵ effort to plug some of the gaps.

“Working together across at least 30 countries, we can protect at least 4 billion global citizens within the next 5 years," said Sebelius.

The effort aims to build on U.S. pilot programs in Vietnam and Uganda that helped improve disease testing and response to outbreaks.

And while the purpose is to contain global threats, it should help countries fight diseases locally, says public health expert Amesh Adalja with the Infectious Diseases Society of America - speaking via Skype.   

“A lot of the same technologies and techniques that you use in order to respond to, for example, an unknown disease are going to enhance your ability to respond to regular diseases.  For example, developing laboratory testing capacity, developing means to get vaccines⁶ or countermeasures to populations," said Adalja.

The Obama administration plans to commit $45 million in the next year to improve prevention, detection and response to infectious disease threats in developing countries.

 

And it is calling on other nations to contribute to preventing the next global pandemic.

1 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。