VOA慢速英语20060412a

HEALTH REPORT - Measles¹ Campaign Cuts Deaths by Almost HalfBy Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, April 12, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Measles is an infection of the breathing system. The cause is a virus. It spreads through the air when infected people cough or sneeze. Measles spreads very easily.


The measles virus

Deaths from measles are often the result of related infections like pneumonia² or severe diarrhea. Those who survive can suffer brain damage, blindness or other disabilities.

The most recent estimate is that measles led to more than four hundred fifty thousand deaths in two thousand four. Most who die are children under the age of five. And the highest numbers are in southern Africa.

Measles is now rare in wealthier countries where parents usually have their children vaccinated³ against the disease. But it is still common in many developing countries. The World Health Organization says more than thirty million people are affected⁴ each year.

Experts say weak vaccination⁵ programs are the main reason. They say almost all children who have not been vaccinated will get measles if they come in contact with the virus. This is especially true if a person has not had enough vitamin A or has a weakened defense⁶ system.

There has been a vaccine⁷ against measles for the past forty years. Still, measles remains⁸ the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths around the world. But there is good news. A new report says an international campaign reduced measles deaths by almost half between nineteen ninety-nine and two thousand four.

During that time, it says, almost five hundred million children in forty-seven countries were vaccinated.

The report is from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. It says countries in southern Africa had the largest reduction: cases and deaths fell an estimated sixty percent.

The Measles Initiative was launched in February of two thousand one. The international program is expanding technical and financial support to countries in South Asia. They have the highest numbers of measles deaths outside of southern Africa.

The W.H.O. says children in developing countries who get measles should receive two doses of vitamin A. These are given twenty-four hours apart. They can help prevent eye damage and improve chances of survival.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

2 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

3 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

4 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。

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 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 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。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。