公共健康的未来
Future of health
刘立军 供稿
u TRANSCRIPT
Vismita Gupta-Smith
2023 will mark the 75th year of WHO. While the world has achieved many public health milestones in these 75 years, in Science in 5 today we will take a look into the future. What are the innovations we can expect and what will be our biggest challenges? Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I am Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan. Welcome, Soumya. Soumya, paint us a picture of what health for all will look like in the future.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So when I look 20, 25 years into the future Vismita, and I imagine a family living in a rural area in a village anywhere in the world, what I see is that this family has a proper house to live in, that the problem of air pollution has been handled so that people are breathing clean air, that the family uses renewable or clean sources of energy so that there's no more need to use solid fuel for their heating and cooking needs, that they have running water, safe water, as well as improved sanitation facilities that would have reduced the risks of infectious diseases.
I imagine a community health worker living in that village or nearby who would know every family in the village and who would have the tools to deal with the common health problems that families face from children to the elderly. And it's not just about diagnosing and treating common diseases, but with much more of a focus on health promotion and preventive health care. So, for example, I imagine that people of all ages would receive vaccines, not just children; that there would be a regular screening program for things like high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as common cancers; that there would be attention to rehabilitation so that people who have had a stroke or have some kind of disabilities or people, in fact, who have aging related disorders like dementia actually have a place in the community where they can go, where they can get physiotherapy and rehabilitation, but also be able to spend quality time with other senior citizens.
Preschool and a creche, again, would be in every village so that every newborn child with a working mother would have access to a facility where they get both physical care, but also cognitive stimulation and good nutrition. So I'm really imagining in the future that we have a much more holistic view towards a healthy life and well-being.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya what are the innovations we can expect which will help us achieve this goal of health for all?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So clearly that there will be many innovations, including ones that we cannot imagine just now. But I think of the existing technologies, I could say that a couple of them would play increasingly important roles. One of them is genomics, because we are getting a much better understanding now of the role of genomic technologies in prevention, but also in treatment of diseases and also in the area of pathogen surveillance so that we keep track of the bugs in our environment and are aware of the ones that may cause disease in the future.
But also, we will have technologies like gene editing and the CRISPR Cas9 technologies that will make it more easy to do treatment of genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia, for example.
And I also see digital technologies expanding with more people having access to these tools, including healthcare workers. This will enable the latest information to reach people so that they can take better care of their health. But I can also see artificial intelligence algorithms helping doctors and health care workers in making diagnoses. I also imagine that we will have more vaccines, even for non-communicable diseases. Cancer vaccines, for example.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya, speak to us about the challenges. What would be our biggest challenges going forward?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
I think some of the bigger challenges are going to be in the areas of equity and ethics. Equity, because we've seen in the recent past that new technologies take a very long time to reach people in low income countries. And the world has to do better at providing equitable access to health products, which are essentially life saving products. Secondly, I think the area of ethics and the use of new scientific technologies, which are quite often a double edged sword, will become more important.
And I hope that more debates in countries and the setting up of national bioethics committees will help to resolve this because Science will offer a lot of possibilities and new tools, but these have to be used wisely. And finally, I think that the whole area of misinformation, disinformation, mistrust in science needs to be handled. And I think the best way of doing that is by building scientific literacy, starting from schoolchildren.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you. Soumya, that was Science in 5 today. Until next time then, stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
u VOCABULARY
1. milestone n. a very important stage or event in the development of sth. 重要事件；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑
2. innovation n. the introduction of new things, ideas or ways of doing sth. （新事物、思想或方法的）创造；创新；改革。例如：an age of technological innovation技术革新的时代
3. rehabilitation n. 修复
4. stroke n. a sudden serious illness when a blood vessel (= tube) in the brain bursts or is blocked, which can cause death or the loss of the ability to move or to speak clearly 中风。例如：to have / suffer a stroke患中风
5. dementia n. a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, that affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally 痴呆；精神错乱
6. physiotherapy n. the treatment of disease, injury or weakness in the joints or muscles by exercises, massage and the use of light and heat 物理治疗法；理疗
7. creche n. a place where babies and small children are taken care of while their parents are working, studying, shopping, etc. 日托托儿所
8. working mother 在职母亲
9. cognitive adj. connected with mental processes of understanding 认知的；感知的；认识的
10. holistic adj. (medical 医) treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms (= effects) of a disease 功能整体性的。例如：holistic medicine整体医学
11. well-being n. general health and happiness 健康；安乐；康乐。例如：emotional / physical / psychological well-being情绪 / 身体 / 心理健康
12. genomics n. 基因组学
13. pathogen surveillance 病原体监测
14. sickle cell anaemia镰状细胞贫血
15. algorithm n. (especially computing 计) a set of rules that must be followed when solving a particular problem 算法；计算程序
16. equitable adj. (formal) fair and reasonable; treating everyone in an equal way 公平合理的；公正的
17. bioethics n. (technical 术语) the moral principles that influence research in medicine and biology 生物伦理学，生命伦理学（影响医学和生物学研究的道德准则）
uQUESTIONS
TASK 1: 填空
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
2023 will mark the 75th year of WHO. While the world has achieved many public health milestones in these 75 years, in Science in 5 today we will take a look into the future. What are the (Q1) ______ we can expect and what will be our biggest challenges? Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I am Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan. Welcome, Soumya. Soumya, paint us a picture of what health for all will look like in the future.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So when I look 20, 25 years into the future Vismita, and I imagine a family living in a rural area in a village anywhere in the world, what I see is that this family has (Q2) _____________ to live in, that the problem of (Q3) _____________ has been handled so that people are breathing clean air, that the family uses (Q4) ____________________________________ so that there's no more need to use solid fuel for their heating and cooking needs, that they have running water, safe water, as well as (Q5) ___________________ that would have reduced the risks of infectious diseases.
I imagine a community health worker living in that village or nearby who would know every family in the village and who would have the tools to deal with (Q6) ___________________ that families face from children to the elderly. And it's not just about diagnosing and treating common diseases, but with much more of a focus on (Q7) ____________________________________. So, for example, I imagine that people of all ages would receive vaccines, not just children; that there would be (Q8) ________________ for things like high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as common cancers; that there would be attention to rehabilitation so that people who have had a (Q9) ______________ or have some kind of disabilities or people, in fact, who have aging related disorders like dementia actually have a place in the community where they can go, where they can get physiotherapy and rehabilitation, but also be able to spend quality time with other senior citizens.
Preschool and a creche, again, would be in every village so that every newborn child with a working mother would have access to a facility where they get both physical care, but also (Q10) __________. So I'm really imagining in the future that we have a much more holistic view towards (Q11) _________________________.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya what are the innovations we can expect which will help us achieve this goal of health for all?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So clearly that there will be many innovations, including ones that we cannot imagine just now. But I think of the existing technologies, I could say that a couple of them would play increasingly important roles. One of them is (Q12) ______________, because we are getting a much better understanding now of the role of genomic technologies in prevention, but also in treatment of diseases and also in the area of pathogen surveillance so that we keep track of the bugs in our environment and are aware of the ones that may cause disease in the future.
But also, we will have technologies like (Q13) ________________ and the CRISPR Cas9 technologies that will make it more easy to do treatment of genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia, for example.
And I also see (Q14) ____________________ expanding with more people having access to these tools, including healthcare workers. This will enable the latest information to reach people so that they can take better care of their health. But I can also see (Q15) ____________________ algorithms helping doctors and health care workers in making diagnoses. I also imagine that we will have more (Q16) __________________, even for non-communicable diseases. Cancer vaccines, for example.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya, speak to us about the challenges. What would be our biggest challenges going forward?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
I think some of the bigger challenges are going to be in the areas of (Q17) _______________. Equity, because we've seen in the recent past that new technologies take a very long time to reach people in low income countries. And the world has to do better at providing equitable access to health products, which are essentially life saving products. Secondly, I think the area of (Q18) ___________________, which are quite often a double edged sword, will become more important.
And I hope that more (Q19) ________________ in countries and the setting up of national bioethics committees will help to resolve this because Science will offer a lot of possibilities and new tools, but these have to be used wisely. And finally, I think that the whole area of misinformation, disinformation, mistrust in science needs to be handled. And I think the best way of doing that is by (Q20) ___________________________, starting from schoolchildren.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you. Soumya, that was Science in 5 today. Until next time then, stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
TASK 2: 选择
Choose the best answer.
1. According to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, which of the following technologies can play increasingly important roles in achieving the goal of health for all?
A. Genomics and gene editing technologies.
B. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence algorithms.
C. Vaccines for non-communicable diseases.
D. None of the above.
2. What are the biggest challenges mentioned by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan going forward?
A. Access to new technologies in low income countries.
B. Equity and ethics.
C. Setting up national bioethics committees.
D. Building scientific literacy.
u KEY
TASK 1: 填空
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
2023 will mark the 75th year of WHO. While the world has achieved many public health milestones in these 75 years, in Science in 5 today we will take a look into the future. What are the (Q1) innovations we can expect and what will be our biggest challenges? Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I am Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan. Welcome, Soumya. Soumya, paint us a picture of what health for all will look like in the future.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So when I look 20, 25 years into the future Vismita, and I imagine a family living in a rural area in a village anywhere in the world, what I see is that this family has (Q2) a proper house to live in, that the problem of (Q3) air pollution has been handled so that people are breathing clean air, that the family uses (Q4) renewable or clean sources of energy so that there's no more need to use solid fuel for their heating and cooking needs, that they have running water, safe water, as well as (Q5) improved sanitation facilities that would have reduced the risks of infectious diseases.
I imagine a community health worker living in that village or nearby who would know every family in the village and who would have the tools to deal with (Q6) the common health problems that families face from children to the elderly. And it's not just about diagnosing and treating common diseases, but with much more of a focus on (Q7) health promotion and preventive health care. So, for example, I imagine that people of all ages would receive vaccines, not just children; that there would be (Q8) a regular screening program for things like high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as common cancers; that there would be attention to rehabilitation so that people who have had a (Q9) stroke or have some kind of disabilities or people, in fact, who have aging related disorders like dementia actually have a place in the community where they can go, where they can get physiotherapy and rehabilitation, but also be able to spend quality time with other senior citizens.
Preschool and a creche, again, would be in every village so that every newborn child with a working mother would have access to a facility where they get both physical care, but also (Q10) cognitive stimulation and good nutrition. So I'm really imagining in the future that we have a much more holistic view towards (Q11) a healthy life and well-being.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya what are the innovations we can expect which will help us achieve this goal of health for all?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
So clearly that there will be many innovations, including ones that we cannot imagine just now. But I think of the existing technologies, I could say that a couple of them would play increasingly important roles. One of them is (Q12) genomics, because we are getting a much better understanding now of the role of genomic technologies in prevention, but also in treatment of diseases and also in the area of pathogen surveillance so that we keep track of the bugs in our environment and are aware of the ones that may cause disease in the future.
But also, we will have technologies like (Q13) gene editing and the CRISPR Cas9 technologies that will make it more easy to do treatment of genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia, for example.
And I also see (Q14) digital technologies expanding with more people having access to these tools, including healthcare workers. This will enable the latest information to reach people so that they can take better care of their health. But I can also see (Q15) artificial intelligence algorithms helping doctors and health care workers in making diagnoses. I also imagine that we will have more (Q16) vaccines, even for non-communicable diseases. Cancer vaccines, for example.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Soumya, speak to us about the challenges. What would be our biggest challenges going forward?
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
I think some of the bigger challenges are going to be in the areas of (Q17) equity and ethics. Equity, because we've seen in the recent past that new technologies take a very long time to reach people in low income countries. And the world has to do better at providing equitable access to health products, which are essentially life saving products. Secondly, I think the area of (Q18) ethics and the use of new scientific technologies, which are quite often a double edged sword, will become more important.
And I hope that more (Q19) debates in countries and the setting up of national bioethics committees will help to resolve this because Science will offer a lot of possibilities and new tools, but these have to be used wisely. And finally, I think that the whole area of misinformation, disinformation, mistrust in science needs to be handled. And I think the best way of doing that is by (Q20) building scientific literacy, starting from schoolchildren.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you. Soumya, that was Science in 5 today. Until next time then, stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
TASK 2: 选择
Choose the best answer.
1. According to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, which of the following technologies can play increasingly important roles in achieving the goal of health for all?
A. Genomics and gene editing technologies.
B. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence algorithms.
C. Vaccines for non-communicable diseases.
D. None of the above.
【答案】A
【解析】根据原文中提到的Dr. Soumya Swaminathan的观点，基因组学和基因编辑技术在实现全民健康目标中将发挥越来越重要的作用。因此，答案选项A “基因组学和基因编辑技术” 是正确答案。选项B “数字技术和人工智能算法” 和选项C “非传染性疾病的疫苗” 并未在原文中提及，选项D “以上都不是” 不符合原文内容。
2. What are the biggest challenges mentioned by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan going forward?
A. Access to new technologies in low income countries.
B. Equity and ethics.
C. Setting up national bioethics committees.
D. Building scientific literacy.
【答案】B
【解析】根据原文中Dr. Soumya Swaminathan的观点，未来面临的最大挑战是公平和伦理。新技术在低收入国家中传播较慢，需要更好地提供平等的健康产品。此外，新科学技术的伦理问题也变得越来越重要，因为它们往往是一把双刃剑。因此，答案选项B “公平和伦理” 是正确答案。选项A “低收入国家中的新技术应用”、选项C “设置国家生物伦理委员会” 和选项D “建立科学素养” 都是原文中提到的具体挑战。
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