VOA标准英语2010-Kenya Launches Renewed Effort to Control

Joe DeCapua 02 April 2010

Kenya has announced it will re-double efforts to control diarrheal diseases, one of the biggest killers² of children under age five.  Among the causes are unsafe water, as well as poor sanitation³ and hygiene⁴.

 

Kenyan ministries⁵, U.N. organizations and health-related agencies have joined forces to reverse a rising rate of diarrheal disease in the country.  They unveiled what they call a renewed effort at a time when “global progress against the disease has stalled.”

One of the agencies involved is PATH.  Alfred Ochola is its primary health care coordinator⁶ in Kenya for the project.

“The renewed effort is important because it has come out that diarrhea is increasing, as opposed to what it was in the 90s,” he says.

Ochola says one reason for the increase was a shift of resources to other major health threats.

“Many efforts had been diverted to another important cause – HIV/AIDS and malaria⁷.  And then the area that used to be the main focus for the control and prevention of diarrhea was kind of not given the right focus,” he says.

As a result, there is a renewed emphasis on what are known as O.R.T.C. – or oral rehydration therapy corners, where children can receive quick and easy treatments that could save their lives.

“What it is is a designated place in the hospital, particularly where children are seen, especially those with diarrhea.  The importance of these corners is that if children do not pass through that corner they come in the late stages with complications with severe dehydration⁸.  And these are usually the children who now die from diarrhea, which should not be the case,” he says.

Oral rehydration therapy is usually an inexpensive solution of salt, sugar and water.

Meaning well, doing harm

Unfortunately, many mothers may be misinformed about how to treat the disease and may actually make matters worse.

Ochola says these children should be given more fluids than usual. 

What’s more, he says, “They should be fed.  But you might find that now mothers in the rural villages think the best way to handle the issue is now to stop the feeding, stop giving more fluids.  And even worse, stop breastfeeding, which means now the children will be starved of the required fluids and food, which is necessary.

Most of the cases of diarrhea and infant mortality occur in western Kenya.

Boosting prevention efforts

Kenya is also stepping up its vaccination⁹ program against a leading cause of diarrhea, the rotavirus.  With funding from the GAVI Alliance, PATH operates the Rotavirus Vaccine¹⁰ Program – a partnership¹¹ that includes the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

It’s estimated up to two million children die every year around the world from diarrheal disease.  It’s the third biggest killer¹ of children under age five in Kenya, following malaria and pneumonia¹².

“Malaria is also closely linked to diarrhea.  Most children, when they have an attack of malaria, they also have diarrhea.  So when you have a combination of malaria and diarrhea, those children end up in the bigger circle of ending up with malnutrition¹³.  One of the complications of malnutrition is diarrhea,” he says.

The PATH health coordinator says there will also be greater efforts to raise awareness¹⁴ about the disease.

Ochola says the message is diarrhea can kill, but it can be prevented.  And proper hygiene, safe water and sanitation can do that.

The renewed effort to control the disease includes various Kenyan ministries, PATH, UNICEF, Population Services International and the Micronutrient Initiative.

 

1 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

2 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

3 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。

4 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

5 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

6 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

7 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 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。

12 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

13 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

14 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。