2007年VOA标准英语-Groups Vow to Address Staggering Infant Mortali

By Carol Pearson
Washington, D.C.
15 January 2007
 
watch Infant Mortality report

Every year, four million newborns die in their first month of life.  Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest infant mortality rate of any region of the world. Now there is a new push to save Africa's newborns as well as the newborns in other developing regions. 

 
Anne Tinker
The most dangerous period in an African baby's life is the day he is born. This grim observation came at a conference in Washington from Anne Tinker with Save the Children. 

"Up to 50 percent of all newborn deaths are on the first day of life.  That's 500,000 African babies dying on their birthday. Seventy-five percent of newborn deaths are in the first week." 

Another million African babies do not live long enough to take their first breath [are stillborn].  Last year, Save the Children joined forces with other organizations, scientists and doctors to find out why these babies die and how to prevent their deaths.

  
  
The result is the most comprehensive study ever on infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are hopeful:  more than two-thirds could be saved with low-cost interventions¹ that even the poorest of countries can put in place. 

Suggestions include tetanus shots for pregnant women, teaching women to keep their babies warm and snug² against their chests and breast-feeding shortly after birth.

The lifesaving techniques in this study can also be applied³ to infants elsewhere, such as China and India, countries with high newborn death rates.

The African study is the first of a number of regional studies on infant mortality.  It was financed by the United States Agency for International Development, the World Health Organization and donations from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Some video courtesy of Save the Children

1 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

2 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。