Unit 9. International cooperation in medicine

Text:

International cooperation in medicine is very important because there are medical problems that individual countries cannot solve by themselves. For example, these countries can’t control such communicable diseases as hepatitis, ТВ, influenza or AIDS, or develop methods to eradicate some non-communicable diseases, which are considered killers number 1 nowadays. They are cardiovascular diseases, oncological conditions, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and so on.

To coordinate all these issues World Health Organization (WHO) was founded in 1948. Now about 180 countries are the members of WHO. The Headquarters is located in Geneva (Switzerland) and the European Office of WHO is in Copenhagen (Denmark).

WHO is responsible for the world health problems. This international organization has a number of objectives:

 

§ to assist governments to strengthen health services

§ to provide information in the field of health

§ to promote research in the field of medicine

§ to stimulate the eradication of epidemic, endemic and other diseases

§ to promote improved nutrition, housing, sanitation, working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene

§ to develop international standards for biological and pharmaceutical products.

         

     One of the main services carried out by WHO is the service of epidemic warnings. Such epidemic diseases as cholera and yellow fever are still a great danger in our time. WHO informs the national health services about the outbreaks of viral diseases (for example, SARS - sudden acute respiratory syndrome or bird flu) so that the nations could take measures to prevent the spread of these often deadly viruses.

     The responsibility for the world's health goes beyond specific disease control. It ranges from maternal and child health care and prevention of injuries to improved financing of health services and provision of essential drugs. Thanks to the achievements of WHO the health status and life span of the world population have improved.

 

New vocabulary:

1. to solve problems – решать проблемы

2. to eradicate diseases – искоренить болезни

3. communicable and non-communicable diseases – инфекционные и неинфекционные заболевания

4. headquarters - штаб

5. a number of objectives – ряд целей

6. to assist governments – помогать правительствам

7. to promote research –  продвигать исследования

8. improved nutrition, housing, sanitation - улучшенное питание, жилищные условия и санитария

9. environmental hygiene – гигиена окружающей среды

10. service of epidemic warnings – служба эпидемического предупреждения

11. outbreaks of viral diseases – вспышки вирусных заболеваний

12. to take measures –  принимать меры

13. to prevent the spread of deadly viruses – предотвращать распространение смертоносных вирусов

14. to range from … to … – быть в пределах действия от ... и до…

15. provision of essential drugs – обеспечение основными лекарствами

16. life span –  продолжительность жизни

 

Answer the following questions:

1. Why is international cooperation in medicine important?

2. Why can’t some countries solve medical problems?

3. What communicable and non-communicable diseases do you know?

4. When was WHO founded?

5. How many countries are the members of WHO?

6. Is Russia a member of this organization?

7. Where is the Headquarters of WHO located?

8. Where is the European Office of WHO located?

9. What is WHO responsible for?

10. What are the objectives of WHO?

11. Why is it important to promote improved nutrition, housing, sanitation?

12. What is one of the main services of WHO?

13. Why does WHO inform countries about outbreaks of diseases?

14. What other problems does WHO solve?

15. What are the achievements of this international organization?

 

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