VOA慢速英语:Nigerian Doctor Honored for Fight Against River Blindness

Nigerian doctor Uche Amazigo has received the Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding efforts in public health. Dr. Amazigo recently traveled to Thailand to receive the award. She has been a leader in sub-Saharan Africa in the fight against the disease known as river blindness.
尼日利亚医生Uche Amazigo因为在公共卫生领域的杰出获得玛希隆王子奖。Amazigo医生最近前往泰国领取该奖。她一直是撒哈拉以南非洲地区与河盲症作斗争的领导者。

The disease begins when people are bitten by the black flies that spread the infection. The disease is known as river blindness because the flies live near fast-moving rivers and streams.
当人们被传播感染的黑蝇咬伤时，这种疾病就开始了。因为黑蝇生活在湍急的河流与溪流附近，所以这种疾病被称为河盲症。

Tiny worms spread throughout the body. This incites the body's immune system to attempt to fight the invader. But the body's intense immune response can destroy the eye nerves.
细小的蠕虫会扩散到全身。这会激发人体免疫系统试图抵抗侵略者。但身体强烈的免疫反应会破坏眼部神经。

The cause of the disease was first identified in Guatemala almost 100 years ago. River blindness continues to be a serious health problem in many African nations and in Yemen.
这种疾病的病因大约在一百年前在危地马拉被首次发现。在许多非洲国家和也门，河盲症仍然是一个非常严重的健康问题。

Medical treatment lasting as long as 20 years is necessary to keep victims free from the parasite that causes the disease.
为了让该疾病的受害者免受导致该病的寄生虫的影响，历时长达20年的医学治疗是必要的。

Dr. Amazigo is a former director of the World Health Organization's African Program on Onchocerciasis. That is the medical name for river blindness.
Amazigo医生是世界卫生组织非洲盘尾丝虫病项目的前任负责人。这是河盲症的医学名称。

She describes how medical workers have sometimes had to struggle to deliver medicine, vitamin A and bed nets, to protect against the flies. 
她介绍了医务人员如何不得不努力提供药品、维生素A和蚊帐来防黑蝇。

“We had huge challenges in southern Sudan. We started the program in 1999 -- it collapsed because of conflict. We went back in 2001. It collapsed because of conflict, and we’re back again in 2010. Now we cross our fingers.”
“我们在苏丹南部地区曾面临巨大的挑战。我们在1999年开始该项目，由于冲突该项目崩溃了。我们又于2001年回到苏丹南部，再次因为冲突而瓦解。2010年我们又回来了，现在我们祈祷一切顺利。”

Dr. Amazigo successfully organized local treatment operations in communities. Now 117,000 communities under 19 African governments treat the disease locally.
Amazigo医生在社区成功组织了本地的手术治疗。现在19个非洲国家政府的117,000个社区在本地治疗这种疾病。

In 1987, the drug manufacturer Merck launched a program to provide a medicine called ivermectin to all those affected by the disease. The company said it would provide the treatment for free as long as necessary through the community directed program.
在1987年，药品制造商默克公司推出了一项计划，提供一种名为伊维菌素的药品给所有这种疾病的感染者。该公司表示，只要有必要，将通过社区定向计划提供免费治疗。

The infection not only causes blindness. It also causes a painful skin disease. Doctor Amazigo says the effects are especially difficult for women. Women are often socially rejected when their skin shows early signs of the disease.
感染不仅会导致失明，还会造成痛苦的皮肤疾病。Amazigo医生称，这种情况对妇女的影响特别严重。妇女的皮肤出现这种疾病的早期迹象时，通常会被社会拒绝。

But she says victims are more accepted now. She also says health providers and governments recognize community operations as very important to educating more than 120 million people at risk for the disease.
但她说，受害者如今更容易为社会接受。她还说，医疗服务提供者和各国政府认识到社区手术治疗对教育超过1.2亿处于这种疾病风险中的人非常重要。