WHO Urges India to Wage 'End Game' Against 1)Polio

Broadcast: Apr 08, 2003

 

The World Health Organization has intensified¹ efforts to eliminate the crippling disease polio in India following a dramatic increase in cases during the past year. Health officials fear India's new polio cases could set back a global campaign to ²⁾eradicate² the disease.

The head of World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland, said it is vital to ³⁾vaccinate³ tens of millions of children against polio in India. More than 1,500 cases of polio were reported in the country last year, up from just 268 the year before.

The new cases pose a fresh challenge to an ambitious worldwide campaign launched in 1988 to wipe out polio, which used to ^4）paralyze tens of thousands of children every year.

Polio usually strikes children below five, causing paralysis⁴ or even death. But it is easily prevented with a few drops of an oral vaccine⁵. Mass immunization drives across the world have stamped out the disease in most countries. But cases still occur in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and some African nations. These are being called the "last frontiers" for polio eradication⁶.

The WHO chief, Mr. Brundtland, has called for health workers in India to wage the "end game" against the disease, particularly in eastern Uttar Pradesh state, where most of the world's new cases are concentrated. Mr. Brundtland visited the state a few days ago.

"Although there are seven countries in the world that have some transmission, Uttar Pradesh is absolutely the key area. We need to get to every child, and repeat vaccinations⁸ so that we can come to our target of eradicating⁹ polio," she said.

Health officials say polio cases probably increased in Uttar Pradesh because ^5）immunization past campaigns did not reach children in some districts. Most new polio cases have been reported in poor and backward regions, where lack of education and awareness¹⁰ may hurt the effectiveness of vaccination⁷ programs.

To combat the huge rise in polio, India and WHO have launched the world's biggest immunization program, with a special focus on Uttar Pradesh. The campaign involves tens of thousands of health workers and volunteers. Popular film stars, the country's cricket heroes, and schools also are spreading the message on the importance of immunizing children against polio.

The most recent immunization round was conducted a few days ago, when health workers tried to reach nearly 100 million children across 10 Indian states. The immunization drives will be repeated several times this year in an effort to reach every child under five years age.

Savita Varde Naqvi, spokeswoman for the U.N. childrens' agency UNICEF, calls it a massive operation involving many agencies and workers. "UNICEF has about 3,000 social mobilizers in high-risk pockets in UP [Uttar Pradesh] trying to reach out to the communities and families, which either are reticent¹¹ to come to the booth or do not wish to give their children the polio drops, or who may not have the information of when it is happening or why it should be done," she said.

WHO had hoped to eradicate polio by the year 2005, but officials now say the new cases in India could push back that target by a few years.

Anjana Pasricha For VOA news, New Delhi.

 

 

1)    Polio [5pEuliEu][医]脑脊髓灰质炎，小儿麻痹症

2)    eradicate [i5rAdikeit]v.根除

3)    vaccinate [5vAksineit]v.进行预防接种n.被接种牛痘者

4)    paralyze [5pArElaIz]vt.使瘫痪, 使麻痹

5)    immunization [7imju:nai5zeiFEn]n.有免疫力，免疫作用，免疫预防针

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

3 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

4 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

5 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。

6 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

7 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。

8 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

10 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

11 reticent   

adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的

参考例句：

• He was reticent about his opinion.他有保留意见。
• He was extremely reticent about his personal life.他对自己的个人生活讳莫如深。