voa标准英语2008-Measles Deaths Worldwide Fall by 74 Percent

Health officials say aggressive efforts to vaccinate¹ young children against measles² have resulted in a 74 percent global decline in the number of deaths due to the illness. Experts say the biggest decline, 90 percent, occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean³ region.
　

A baby boy cries as he is vaccinated4 against measles in a camp for displaced people, north of Goma in eastern Congo (File)

Global health officials say that from 2000 through 2007, the number of measles deaths worldwide dropped from 750,000 to 197,000. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the number of deaths due to measles fell from 96,000 to 10,000 during the same period.

The World Health Organization, or WHO, has set a goal of cutting measles deaths overall by 90 percent by the end of the decade. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and the Sudan have already achieved that goal, while other countries are not far behind.

But Peter Strebel of the WHO warns that those involved in the fight against measles cannot let their guard down.

"Countries must plan and budget for periodic nationwide national measles vaccination⁵ campaigns to make sure all children are protected by vaccination," said Strebel.

Strebel says 500 children per day die of the disease, which is easily prevented through immunizations. The vast majority of measles deaths occur in children under the age of five.

Global health officials say the hot spot is India, where eradication⁶ efforts lag the rest of the world. According to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization, measles deaths in India have been reduced by 67 percent during the past eight years.

Last year, officials say there were an estimated 130,000 measles deaths in India.

Edward Hoekstra of the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, says India will begin stepping up its measles vaccination efforts.

"India is the only country in the world where we still have only one dose of measles [vaccine per child]. And we know if you only give one dose of measles [vaccine], that is not sufficient to give protection to the whole population against measles," said Hoekstra.

The World Health Organization has partnered with a number of organizations, including UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Red Cross to form the Measles Initiative to wipe out measles.

"In developing countries, measles is greatly feared. In fact, in many of these places, a child is not even given a name until they survive measles. So our work can spare a mother the agony of losing a child," said Athalia Christie of the American Red Cross.

The latest figures on measles eradication are published in the Centers for Disease Control journal, Morbidity⁷ and Mortality Weekly.

1 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。

2 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

3 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

4 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

5 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。

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 morbidity   

n.病态；不健全；发病；发病率

参考例句：

• MC's also significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality induced by honeybee venom. 肥大细胞同样也能显著降低蜜蜂毒液诱发疾病的发病率和死亡率。 来自互联网
• The result shows that incidence of myopia morbidity is 44.84%. 结果表明：近视眼的发病率为44.84%。 来自互联网