2007年VOA标准英语-WHO Says Polio Eradication Within Grasp

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
28 February 2007

The World Health Organization held Wednesday a meeting in Geneva to devise strategies aimed at finishing the job of eradicating¹ polio worldwide. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva that scientists, finance and health ministers agree it is technically² feasible to rid the world of this crippling disease. .

When the World Health Organization kicked off the global polio eradication³ campaign in 1988, it set a deadline of 2005 for finishing the job. Most of the world now is polio free, but that goal has been missed. Polio remains⁴ in four countries -- Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In opening the meeting, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the fight against polio needs an immediate⁵ surge of commitment.

But controversy⁶ is brewing⁷ in certain scientific circles that eradication may not be a realistic goal. Some scientists contend the best strategy is for countries to concentrate on controlling the spread of the disease through regular immunizations and emergency campaigns when needed.

 
Paula Dobriansky during a press conference about the Global Polio Eradication at the U.N. European headquarters in Geneva, 28 Feb 2007
U.S. Under-Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, says this approach was discussed at the meeting and largely rejected.

She said, "It was indicated that the costs of undertaking⁸ a control strategy actually outweigh⁹ the benefits of pursuing a full-fledged eradication strategy, that it is essential to go forward with an eradication strategy… The majority embraced that approach and feel that it is within our grasp."

Government health officials as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations at the Wednesday meeting agreed to re-energize their commitment to rid the world of polio.

Assistant administrator¹⁰ for global health at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Kent Hill, says the interventions¹¹ for eradicating polio are well known. The big need, he says, is to overcome donor¹² fatigue¹³.

 
Kent Hill (28 Feb 2007)
He said, "Unlike smallpox¹⁴, this turned out to be a tougher enterprise and I think people are coming to terms with that and then having got so close it takes a real sense of commitment to go ahead and finish the job."

Dr. Hill says delegates agree that success in eradicating polio will also require greater community involvement.

"We know that there is a problem in a lot of these countries in getting women into the homes to do the vaccinations¹⁵, etc," he said.

"85 percent of the cases are in Islamic settings. They are among Muslims. One way forward is to engage more effectively…our Muslim friends in Islamic countries both in the funding aspect and in the leadership to really get their buy into this," he added.

A few years ago, northern Islamic States in Nigeria stopped vaccinating¹⁶ their children against polio claiming the vaccine¹⁷ caused infertility¹⁸ in girls. As a consequence, a number of neighboring countries that had been polio-free were re-infected with the virus.

Recently, a Pakistani community stopped polio immunizations for similar reasons. Polio experts are trying to allay¹⁹ these fears so that the eradication campaign can go forward.

Since the campaign against polio began in 1988, the international community has invested almost $5 billion in the global campaign against the disease. The World Health Organization estimates it will need $575 million more over the next two years, as well as political commitment, to eradicate²⁰ polio completely.

1 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。

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 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。

4 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。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

8 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

9 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

10 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

11 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

12 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

13 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

14 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

15 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》

16 vaccinating   

给…接种疫苗( vaccinate的现在分词 )； 注射疫苗，接种疫苗

参考例句：

• At first blush, vaccinating the wolves against rabies seems a simple solution. 乍一看来，为狼群注射防狂犬病疫苗是一种简单的办法。
• Also vaccinating children against misers (measles) has saved many lives. 还有，给儿童进行疫苗接种防止麻疹也挽救了许多生命。

17 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。

18 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

19 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。

20 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。