Each year on 7 April, we observe World Health Day to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948. This year's theme, "Good health adds life to years", conveys an important message: promoting good health throughout life improves one's chances of remaining healthy and productive in one's later years.
每年的四月七日，我們都要紀念世界衛(wèi)生日，慶祝世衛(wèi)組織在1948年成立。今年的?慶祝世界衛(wèi)生日，紀念1948年成立世界衛(wèi)生組織的周年。今年的主題是“良好的健康，延年益壽”，這一主題提供了一個重要的信息:在一生中提倡身體健康，能夠提升人到晚年時保持健康和工作能力的機率。

In the middle of the last century, there were just 14 million people in the world aged 80 years or older. By 2050, there will be almost 400 million people in this age group, 100 million of them in China alone. Soon, for the first time in history, the world will have more adults aged 65 or older than children under five. This enormous shift in the age of the world's population is closely linked to economic and social development. But more older people also means increased demands on health care and social security systems.
上世紀中頁，全世界80歲以及以上的人口只有一千四百萬，到2050年，這一年齡段的人口將達4億，中國就有一億人。不久的將來，世界上六十五歲以上的人數(shù)將超過5歲以下的人口數(shù)量。這一世界人口年齡結構的巨變與經(jīng)濟和社會發(fā)展緊密相關。但老齡人口增多就意味著對健康保健和社會保障的需求增長。

The greatest health threat for older people in all countries is now overwhelmingly from noncommunicable diseases. Heart disease and stroke are the biggest killers. But what is the biggest cause? This year’s World Health Day sounds the alarm of a silent global killer, high blood pressure. ?
目前對世界各國老年人最大的威脅主要來自非傳染性疾病。心臟病和中風是最大的殺手。但最大的誘因是什么？今天國際健康日向全球最大無聲殺手高血壓發(fā)出警告。

One in three adults worldwide has this condition. It is a major cause to death in rich and poor countries alike. High blood pressure, a main trigger for heart disease, all too often goes undiagnosed because symptoms are rare.? The good news is that when it is detected early enough, relatively simple steps can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks. That is why the United Nations encourages all adults to have their blood pressure regularly checked at health care facilities.
每三個成年人中就有一個人患有高血壓，高血壓對富裕和貧困國家都是主要致死原因。高血壓是心臟病的主要誘因，常常無法診斷，因為癥狀很少。好消息是如果早期發(fā)現(xiàn)，幾個簡單的步驟就可以顯著減少心臟病的威脅。這也就是聯(lián)合國鼓勵所有萬年人在健康保健機構定期檢查血壓的原因。

Following a healthy lifestyle can add years to all our lives.? The evidence is unequivocal.? Cutting down on the consumption of salt, eating a balanced diet, avoiding excessive drinking of alcohol, getting regular exercise, reducing stress and avoiding tobacco use minimize the risk of developing high blood pressure and further consequences such as strokes or heart attacks. Addressing high blood pressure is a key to tackling heart disease – one of the four most deadly non-communicable diseases.
保持健康的生活方式可以延長人類壽命。這方面的證據(jù)是無可辯駁的。減少鹽的攝入量，采用平衡膳食，避免過度飲酒，有規(guī)律地運動，減輕壓力，不吸煙都可以減低高血壓的風險，以及由此帶來的中風或者心臟病發(fā)作的后果。治療高血壓是對抗四大非傳染性致命疾病之一，心臟病的關鍵。

The other three – cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes – are on the rise everywhere, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and increasingly among younger people.? The countries that are hit hardest are those that can least afford the social and economic consequences of losing a significant part of their workforce to illness and premature death.? These are the same countries that can least afford to pay for treatment and care.
另外三大致命疾病，癌癥，慢性消化道疾病和糖尿病發(fā)病率也在各地上升，尤其是在中低收入國家，而且在年輕人當中增長?；疾÷首罡叩膰仪『檬悄切┳顭o法承受很大一部分勞動力患病和早亡的后果的國家。這些國家也最沒有支付治療費用的能力。

I welcome the growing, global momentum to address non-communicable diseases.? At the General Assembly in September 2011, countries committed to taking action. ?Since then, the World Health Organization has worked with partners to develop a global action plan to address non-communicable diseases in the years leading up to 2020. Reducing high blood pressure is a critical element in that action plan – and something we can all play a part in.?
我歡迎國際社會日益注重非傳染性疾病的防治。各國在2011年9月聯(lián)大期間承諾采取行動。其后，世界衛(wèi)生組織與有關伙伴合作，制訂了一個2020年前防治非傳染性疾病的行動計劃。減少高血壓患病率是該計劃的一個重要內容，我們都可以為此出力。