VOA双语新闻：10、乌干达艾滋肆虐 令人担忧

乌干达艾滋肆虐 令人担忧

Uganda had the third-highest number of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa last year, behind South Africa and Nigeria, reversing its reputation for successfully tackling the epidemic 1 in the 1990s. Although the percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS is half of what it was in the 1980s, the increase in new infections is worrying to health workers.

乌干达是去年萨哈拉以南地区艾滋病新增病例最多的国家之一，仅次于南非和尼日利亚，改变了它在上世纪90年代成功抗击艾滋病暴发的亮丽形象。尽管目前患有艾滋病的人口比例不及80年代的一半，但是加速新增的病例让医护工作人员担忧。

Health officials said one of the reasons for the rise in infections is that Uganda has become a victim of its own success, especially after the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs.

卫生官员说，一个重要的原因是，乌干达为自己的成功所累，尤其是引进抗逆转录病毒药物之后。

“I think what came in is complacency," said Henry Magala, program director of the AIDS Health Foundation. "People got satisfied that once you’re on medication, you’ll be all right. People began saying that HIV is like any other disease. So the fear to get it vanished.”

艾滋病保健基金会项目负责人亨利·马加拉说，“我认为人们太大意了。他们总以为吃了药就万事大吉。他们甚至开始觉得艾滋病无非就是一种疾病。人们不再害怕感染艾滋病毒了。”

Uganda had received international praise for dropping its virus prevalence rate from 15 percent at its peak in 1991 to 7.3 percent today.

乌干达曾因把1991年艾滋病毒15%的流行率降低到今天的7.3%而备受国际社会称赞。

But the risk remains 2 and is growing among people like Joyce, a 30-year-old woman who is living with HIV.

可是风险仍然存在，在30岁的乔伊斯这样的人中间甚至在增加。

“I wanted to go to school," she said. "So this guy, he was dating me. So he decided 3 to pay my school fees. So I think I became very reckless with my life and had [unprotected] sex with him. I think that’s where I got my HIV from. That’s what I remember.”

艾滋病毒感染者乔伊斯说，“我想上学，有个人在和我交往，愿意为我付学费，当然我要用身体去换。我太大意了，没有采用任何防护。我大概就是这样感染上艾滋病毒的。”

AIDS activists 4 said people are not making use of the simplest way to protect against HIV: a condom.

艾滋病毒活动人士说，人们没有利用好防止艾滋病的有力工具安全套。

“We see that 35 percent to 40 percent of people who should use condoms are not using them,” Magala said.

艾滋病保健基金会项目负责人亨利·马加拉说，“35-40%的人本该使用避孕套，可是他们偏不。”

The Ugandan government is responding to the spike 5 in new cases by creating an HIV-AIDS Trust Fund to finance a campaign against complacency.

为应对艾滋病例激增，乌干达政府创立艾滋病信托基金，用于公益宣传，扭转人们大意轻敌的观念。

“So we believe that as parliament, by creating this HIV and AIDS trust fund, we as Ugandans are going to contribute to this levy," said Sarah Kayagi Netalisire, a member of the parliamentary committee dealing 6 with HIV and AIDS. "I believe it’s going to help us to reach out to those people we have may not reached out to.”

Funding has been an issue in recent years, leading to a shortage in HIV testing kits 7 and other protective devices.

最近几年一直资金不足，尤其是捐款用光的时候，会导致艾滋病检测试剂和其他防护用具不足。

“We have continued to rely on donors 8 for supplies of condoms in the country, so once this supply is short cut, that means the population has no condoms for protection,” Magala said.

艾滋病保健基金会项目负责人亨利·马加拉说，“这个国家的避孕套供应一直依靠捐款。一旦捐款不足，人们就没有避孕套可用。”

Joyce, who's been living with HIV for five years, said hope is not lost for those with the virus.

乔伊斯感染艾滋病已经5年了，她希望基金会能对她有所帮助。她对那些同样感染病毒的人说，感染艾滋并不代表没有希望。

“The best medicine for HIV is acceptance," she said. "The more you accept your status. the more you live.”

她说，“治疗艾滋最好的药物就是接受现实。你越是接受你的现状，就越是活得长久。”