VOA标准英语2010年-WHO: Global Maternal Mortality Decline

The report issued by the WHO shows birth-related mortality declined by 34 percent during the past decade - from about 546,000 deaths in 1990 to an estimated 358,000 deaths in 2008.

That is an annual rate of decline of about 2.3 percent. Although the report called this progress "notable," it said it too slow to meet the United Nations' goal of reducing maternal¹ deaths from pregnancy² or delivery problems by 75 percent during the next five years.

Colin Mathers, with the World Health Organization in Geneva, said, "It's somewhat less than half the pace that would be needed."

To achieve the U.N.'s Millennium³ Development Goals on maternal mortality, Mathers, who analyzed⁴ data in the report, said the annual decline in deaths would need to be 5.5 percent. The study notes that 10 of 87 countries with historically high rates of maternal deaths are on track to achieving the 5.5 percent annual reduction.

The report noted⁵ progress in sub-Saharan Africa, with a 26 percent decline overall in maternal mortality since 1990.

According to the World Health Organization, 99 percent of maternal deaths in 2008 occurred in the developing world, with more than half in poor regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and an estimated one-third in South Asia.

The WHO's Colin Mathers says that reducing the rate of maternal deaths requires a commitment by countries, international organizations and charities to educate and train more medical personnel to attend to pregnant women.

Mathers said it also is extremely important to educate women. "General education, but also education about pregnancy - about pregnancy, childbirth, control of fertility. [This is] very important in reducing adverse⁶ outcomes for mothers and children."

Next week, the United Nations is scheduled to convene⁷ a conference in New York of more than 140 heads of state to review the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000, which include eliminating mother and infant mortality.

Phil Hay, an advisor⁸ to the World Bank development office that is dealing⁹ with health and education issues at the summit, said, "Look, these goals are due by 2015. What are we going to do as a development community to make sure all this happens by 2015?"

Hay said the World Bank is prepared to make a significant monetary¹⁰ contribution toward achieving the Millennium goals in 35 of the poorest nations with the highest rates of maternal mortality.

"These are mostly going to be countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. And we are prepared to spend up to $650 to $700 million in new financing to make sure that by 2015, we put an end to the unfinished business of trying to keep mothers alive," said Hay.

Hays said the United Nations will make a major effort during the next five years toward achieving the Millennium goals, which also include reducing childhood mortality, eliminating hunger and disease, and halving¹¹ extreme poverty around the globe.

1 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。

2 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

3 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

4 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

7 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

11 halving   

n.对分，二等分，减半[航空、航海]等分v.把…分成两半( halve的现在分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• You searched those halving your salary cut your enthusiasm. 你呈现，薪水减半降低了你的任务热情。 来自互联网
• Halving the repeater spacing made it possible to quadruple the bandwidth. 把增音机间隔缩小一半，就能使带宽增加三倍。 来自互联网