DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Meningitis in Africa

DEVELOPMENT REPORT – October 21, 2002: Meningitis in Africa

By Jill Moss¹

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Health experts from Africa and international aid agencies have agreed on a plan to
fight a new, deadly form of meningitis in Africa. The plan was approved during a
recent meeting in Ouagadougo, the capital of Burkina Faso. This West African
country is the first nation in Africa to be affected² by the new kind of meningitis,
called W-one-hundred-thirty-five. So far, almost one-thousand-five-hundred people
have died from the new form of meningitis.

The World Health Organization warns that many more could die in the coming Meningitis bacteria
months. The disease is most widespread in Africa from November through May. (Photo - CDC)

Meningitis is caused by a bacterium³. The disease affects the brain. About fifty percent of all patients die if the
disease is not treated. The disease spreads through a part of Africa that extends from the West African coast to
the eastern part of Somalia.

W-H-O officials say the best way to save lives is to provide everyone in an infected area with vaccine⁴ medicine
to prevent the disease. However, they say they do not have enough of the current vaccine to treat meningitis W-
one-hundred-thirty-five.

In addition, they say the cost of a single injection is too high -- as much as fifty dollars. Because of the cost, the
W-H-O says aid agencies will not be able to carry out mass vaccination⁵ campaigns in Africa. There is already a
less costly⁶ vaccine for the more common A and C forms of meningitis.

Ian Simpson is a spokesperson for the World Health Organization. He says that the experts who met in
Ouagadougo agreed to a two-step plan to fight the spread of this new form of meningitis. First, they will continue
working with drug manufacturers to produce a less costly vaccine. The second part of the plan is to collect
enough medicine and equipment to treat people who become infected.

Mister Simpson called for a careful examination of patients at health centers and hospitals to help discover
meningitis cases early. This way, people can receive treatment immediately. In addition, area laboratories that
identify meningitis will serve as an early warning system.

Mister Simpson also said that more testing of new medical treatments for meningitis patients is needed. He also
called for improved efforts to quickly transport medicines to areas where they are needed.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

Adapted from a VOA report by Lisa Schlein

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1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

4 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

5 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。