DEVELOPMENT REPORT - The Battle Against Polio Continues

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - The Battle Against Polio Continues
By Karen Leggett

Broadcast: Monday, July 04, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

Some countries are reporting progress in ending the disease¹ polio, but polio is still spreading to other countries. Polio spreads through water and human waste. People with polio are not able to move their arms or legs. Sometimes polio is deadly. But the disease can be prevented with a vaccine² medicine that is given to babies and young children. Children under five years old should receive at least four doses of the polio vaccine to be protected.

Polio had ended completely in Yemen and Indonesia. But experts believe the disease has now spread there from Nigeria. Vaccinations⁵ stopped for one year in Nigeria when some people worried about whether the vaccine was safe. Vaccination⁴ campaigns have started again in Nigeria. The number of polio cases in that country has been reduced by fifty percent.

But now there are at least sixty-five cases of the disease reported in Indonesia and more than two hundred forty in Yemen. Yemen has almost half of all the new cases of polio in the world this year. There are also new cases in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger.

India and Pakistan have never been free of polio, but world health officials say more children in India are protected against polio than ever before. For example, polio immunization campaigns are being held every six weeks in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Also in India, seventy-five percent of the groups that give the vaccinations include a person who is well known in the local community. Health officials say this means that many more children receive the polio vaccine. They also say that the support of local governments in Pakistan has been very important.

Health officials say big vaccination campaigns are planned this year in all the countries where polio is spreading. For example, there will be six national immunization campaigns in more than twenty countries in west and central Africa.

When children receive the polio vaccine, they will also receive a dose³ of Vitamin A to help their bodies fight other diseases⁶. World health officials are still hopeful that they can stop the spread of polio all over the world by the end of this year.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Karen Leggett.  I'm Gwen Outen.

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 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。

3 dose   

n.(药的)剂量，一服；v.给(药)；(给…)服药

参考例句：

• In the accident,the workers received a heavy dose of radiation.在那次事故中，工人受到大剂量的辐射。
• He gave me a dose of medicine for my cold.他给我开了一剂治感冒的药。

4 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。

5 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。