VOA标准英语2009年-Investing in Child And Maternal Health Mak

A consortium of United Nations and private aid and financial organizations are calling for urgent investment in the health of mothers and children in Asia and the Pacific. The consortium, called the Partnership¹ for Maternal², Newborn and Child-Health, says such investments make good economic sense.

The consortium says Africa springs immediately to mind when discussing problems of child and maternal mortality. The Asia and Pacific region does not. It says the region is associated with rapid economic growth, as seen in countries such as China and India

And, yet, progress in Asia belies³ the reality. Ian Pett is Chief of Health Systems and Strategic Planning for the UN Children's Fund. He says the Asia and Pacific region accounts for nearly half of the global burden in maternal, newborn and child health.

"We have 41 percent of global under-five child mortality still occurring in Asia and the Pacific countries, 44 percent of global maternal mortality…More than half of the world's malnourished children are found in Asia and the Pacific. It is a common perception that malnourishment of children, under-nutrition is a profound issue in Africa. It is. But, it is a far bigger, far more persistent⁴ issue in the Asian countries, particularly in South Asia and indeed some of the Pacific," Pett said.

A new study by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health notes few countries in the Asia-Pacific region have social security systems that will pick up the health bill.

It says governments spend very little on health and what does get spent usually comes out of the pockets of the poor. And, this leads to more impoverishment⁵.

It says more than 78 million people have fallen below the absolute poverty line in the region as a result of health care expenditure⁶.

Acting⁷ Head of the Partnership, Flavia Bustreo, says long-term health and economic outcomes can be achieved by investing as little as three to $12 more a year per mother or child. She says a study by USAID finds investing in women and children pays big dividends⁸.

"Thirty to 50 percent of the Asia economic growth between '65 and 1990 is attributed to the better and improvement in health of women and children. Because, when you have children that are healthy and well nourished they develop their productivity and ability to learn and their capacity to observe and become productive elements of society is much higher. And, that is why we are calling for these investments. These are investments that make sense, economic sense, especially now for an economic crisis," Bustreo said.

The consortium shows that impressive results can be achieved in the poorest countries by using some basic and simple interventions⁹, such as family planning and training female community health workers to be skilled birth attendants.

It points to Nepal as one such country, which has managed to reduce child mortality by more than 45 percent and maternal mortality by 50 percent in the space of 10 years.

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

3 belies   

v.掩饰( belie的第三人称单数 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎

参考例句：

• His appearance belies him. 他的外貌给人以假象。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The modesty of their home belies their great wealth. 他们简朴的家使人们看不出他们拥有巨额财富。 来自辞典例句

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 impoverishment   

n.贫穷，穷困；贫化

参考例句：

• Therefore, the spiritual impoverishment is a more fearful social phenomenon. 所以，精神贫困是一种比物质贫困更隐蔽更可怕的社会现象。 来自互联网
• Impoverishment is compounded by many elements, and can transmit to be a pernicious cycle. 贫困是由多种因素复合而成的，并且具有传递性，形成贫困的恶性循环。 来自互联网

6 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

9 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