VOA标准英语2012--Funding Shortfalls Threaten Polio Eradication

 

Funding Shortfalls Threaten Polio Eradication¹

The WHO-sponsored World Health Assembly ended recentedly in Geneva, Switzerland, with the announcement of a new strategy to wipe out the polio virus forever. Organizers said global polio eradication has shifted into what they called "emergency mode" 

“It's now shifted to really the relentless² pursuit of the unvaccinated child - this is what the program is all about,” said Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general at the World Health Organization. Mass vaccination³ has ended the crippling neuro-muscular disease in many parts of the world. But where vaccination efforts have faltered⁴, the disease has made a comeback. Now experts are calling for a new round of donor⁵ pledges to help combat the isolated⁶ outbreaks and transmission of wild polio virus happening in several Asian and African nations.

“There is some evidence that things are tipping in the right direction already - we have four countries reporting polio cases so far this year - that's the lowest number ever,” Aylward said.

“It took us 24 years to get there. It is one of those public health challenges where you have to stay vigilant⁷. If you slack off a little bit, it could go back to 50 countries being endemic in half the time that it took us to get down to the levels where we are,” said. Dr. Orin Levine, executive director of the International Vaccine⁸ Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He says there is an urgent need to close the funding gap so that polio can be eradicated⁹ and its re-emergence in high-risk areas can be prevented.

“Once this funding gap is filled, it's really going to be frontline health workers and everybody locking arms together to make sure that we do really successful campaigns, even in places where security and trust has been a challenge,” Levine said.

WHO says it is so short of funds that it could be forced to suspend vaccine deliveries to some affected¹⁰ communities and might have to delay putting the emergency polio eradication plan into full swing. 

1 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。

2 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

3 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。

4 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

5 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

6 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

7 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

8 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。

9 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。