New US Plan for Disease Prevention 美国疾病预防新政策

综合类——A级

New US Plan for Disease Prevention【美国疾病预防新政策】Urging Americans to take responsibility for their health, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday launched a $15 million program to try to encourage communities to do more to prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The initiative highlights the cost of chronic diseases - the leading causes of death in the United States - and outlines ways that people can prevent them, including better diet and increased exercise.

“In the United States todya, 7 of 10 deaths and the vast majority of serious illness, disability and health care costs are caused by chronic diseases.” the Health and Human Serviece Department said in a statement.

The causes re often behavioral -smoking, poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.

“I am convinced that preventing disease by promoting better health is a smart policy choice for our future.” Thompson told a conference held to launch the initiative.

“Our current health care system is not structured to deal with the escalating costs of treating diseases that are largely preventable through changes in our lifestyle choices.”

Thompson said heart disease and strokes will cost the country more than $351 billion in 2003.

“These leading causes of death for men and women are largely preventable, yet we as a nation are not taking te steps necessary for us to lead healthier , longer lives.” he said.

The $15 million is slated to go to communities to promote prevention, pushing for changes as simple as building sidewalks to encourage people to walk more.

Daily exercise such as walking canprevent and even reverse heart disease and diabetes, and prevent cancer and strokes.

The money will also go to community organizations, clinics and nutritionists who are being encouraged to work together to educate people at risk of diabetes about what they can do to prevent it and encourage more cancer screening.

The American Cancer Society estimates that half of all cancers can be caught by screening, including pap tests for cervical cancer, mammograms for breast cancer, colonoscopies, and prostate checks.

If such cancers were all caught by early screening, the group estimates that survival rate for cancer would rise to 95 percent.

练习：

1. Which of the following is NOT true of chronic diseases in the US?

A) They account for 70% of all deaths.

B) They are responsible for most of the health care costs.

C) They often result in unhealthy lifestyles.

D) They are largely preventable.

2. The author mentions all the following as ways of disease prevention EXCEPT

A) better diet.

B) increased exercise.

C) reduction on smoking.

D) higher survival rate for cancer.

3. The article indicates that more money spent on disease prevention will mean

A) greater responsibility of the government.

B) much less money needed for disease treatment.

C) higher costs of health care.

D) more 1ifestyle choices for people.

4. The $15 million program is aimed at

A) promoting disease prevention.

B) building more sidewalks.

C) helping needy communities.

D) wiping out chronic diseases.

5. Early cancer screening can help reduce significantly

A) the death rates for all chronic diseases.

B) the kinds of cancer attacking people.

C) the cancer incidence rate.

D) cancer death rate.

译文：

周二，健康及人道服务部秘书托米汤姆森发起了一项耗资1500万美元的计划，大力推进社区在预防诸如心脏病、癌症及糖尿病等慢性病上发挥更大能量，以鼓励美国人对自己的健康负责。

这一行动强调了慢性病——造成美国国人死亡的主要原因的代价，概括了预防疾病的途径，包括改善饮食和增加锻炼。

卫生与公共服务部在报告中指出：“今天，在美国70%的死亡、绝大多数重病、残疾及健康医疗是由慢性病造成的，绝大多数医疗费用也花在慢性病的治疗上。”

原因往往是行为上的——吸烟、不良的饮食习惯以及缺乏锻炼。

“我确信通过增进健康来预防疾病是一项利在将来的精明之举。”汤姆森在发起该倡议的会议上说。

“我们当前的健康医疗体系不是为应付治疗那些基本上可以通过改变生活方式来预防的疾病的费用不断上涨而设立的。”

汤姆森认为全国心脏病和中风将在2003年将要耗资3510亿美元。

“男性和女性死亡的主要病因都基本上可以预防，但是作为一个国家，我们却尚未采取必要措施使人们生活得更为健康长寿。”他说道。

调拨1500万美元给社区来推动预防工作，促使变化，细微到修建人行道，鼓励人们多多步行。

每天锻炼，比如走步，能够预防以及治疗心脏病和糖尿病，且能预防癌症和中风。

这批款项也将拨给社区组织、诊所及营养师，鼓励他们合作，教育有患糖尿病风险的人们如何进行预防，鼓励人们多做早期癌症筛查。

美国癌症学会估计，所有类型癌症的一半可用早期癌症筛查测出，包括针对宫颈癌的巴氏试验、针对乳腺癌的乳房X线照片、结肠镜检查以及前列腺检查。

如果所有这些癌症都能够由早期筛查测出，该组织估计癌症存活率将上升到95%。