HEALTH REPORT - World Health Day Recognizes the Health of Mo

HEALTH REPORT - World Health Day Recognizes the Health of Mothers and Children
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, April 06, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Thursday, April seventh, is World Health Day. The World Health Organization recognizes World Health Day each year to increase interest about a health issue it considers of special concern. This year, World Health Day examines the health of mothers and children in developing countries.

The health of mothers and children is this year's World Health Day issue.

The WHO says more than half a million women die every year from problems related¹ to pregnancy² and childbirth. Millions more women survive, but suffer disabilities. About eleven million children also die each year, many within the first month of life.

A million or more children are left without mothers each year as a result of women dying³ from pregnancy-related problems. Experts say these children are three to ten times more likely to die within two years than children who live with both parents.

Most deaths of mothers happen among poor people in developing countries. The highest maternal⁴ death rates around the world are in southern African countries, followed by central Asia. Women are most at risk during childbirth in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Experts say one out of six women in those countries will die from problems related to pregnancy and childbirth.

WHO officials say most of the deaths result from lack of skilled⁵ care during pregnancy and childbirth and lack of clean conditions. Many babies would survive with safe birthing methods, good nutrition, vaccines⁶ against disease⁷ and good care at home.

The disease AIDS is also an increasing threat to both mothers and their children. Experts say almost half of all adults living with AIDS and the virus that causes it are women. And there is increased risk that an infected mother will pass the virus to her baby. Experts say many deaths could be prevented by using medicines during childbirth that prevent mothers from passing the AIDS virus to their babies.

The WHO says governments and the international community need to make the health of women and children a more important issue. Last year, nations approved Millennium⁸ Development Goals for the year two thousand fifteen. They agreed to work to reduce the number of women dying in childbirth by three-quarters. They also promised to reduce the number of child deaths by two-thirds.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Gwen Outen.

1 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

2 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

3 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

4 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

5 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

6 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

7 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

8 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。