2007年VOA标准英语-Cholera Persists in Africa Despite Aggressive M

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
29 August 2007

At its regional meeting in the Republic of Congo this week, the World Health Organization called for African governments to improve sanitation¹ in an effort to cut the number of deadly cholera² infections on the continent. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar.

The number of cholera cases reported in the West African country of Guinea is 80 times higher than what it was this time last year. Guinea's Ministry³ of Health says the number of cases jumped from 30 to 2,500. About 90 people have died from cholera in Guinea this year compared to none last year.

Guilhem Molinie, the head of the Brussels-based non-profit Doctors Without Borders' office in Guinea, says the three cholera clinics set up this month to treat patients in the capital, Conakry, are consistently overflowing⁴.

Martin Mhizha fetches water from an unprotected water source in Epworth, Zimbabwe (File)

Cholera is spread by eating waste-infested food or drinking contaminated water. If not treated quickly, it leads to severe diarrhea, dehydration⁵ and possibly death.

Molinie says health workers can only treat symptoms, and need government support to attack the causes.

"Somebody should try to avoid the problem," said Molinie. "Every year we have the same problem. We are treating the patients, but if somebody were doing something for sanitation in town."

The doctor says there is no place to throw trash away in town. He says doctors burn their own trash because there is no city trash collection.

"Everything is going to the sea. With the first rain, it was incredible, you have all this trash floating in the sea. It is some kind of spectacle," he said.

The World Health Organization says 90 percent of the world's cholera cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, more than 5,000 died from cholera in Africa, with more than 200,000 infected.

With at least one more month in the rainy season to go, about half of sub-Saharan African has reported cholera cases.

The head of World Health Organization in Africa, Angolan doctor Luis Gomes Sambo, says the disease continues to cost the continent lives, lost business revenue- especially tourism, and medical expenses related to treatment and awareness⁶ campaigns.

1 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

2 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

5 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。

6 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。