VOA常速英语2008年-UN Foundation Charity Launches Faith-Based Mala

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
01 April 2008

Ted¹ Turner, head of the public charity organization UN Foundation, has announced a new partnership² with two Protestant churches to raise $200 million for the eradication³ of malaria⁴ in Africa. From United Nations headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Some 25 million Lutherans and Methodists worldwide are expected to participate in the new effort to raise awareness⁵ and money to help wipe out malaria.

Turner, whose $1 billion gift started the UN Foundation in 1998, announced the faith-based initiative Tuesday, during a U.N. conference on the Millennium⁶ Development Goals, the U.N.'s plan to cut poverty and disease by 2015. "These funds will help provide resources to help eliminate malaria deaths by strengthening health systems, supporting the global fund to fight AIDS, TB [tuberculosis] and malaria, and advancing the churches' on the ground health missions," he said.

Turner said the foundation of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will also support the initiative to cut malaria deaths.

Although malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, more than 500 million people worldwide are infected each year, and more than one million die from the mosquito-borne disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is the leading killer⁷ of children age five and under. Malaria also keeps countries poor, costing Africa some $12 billion each year in lost productivity.

Inexpensive insecticide-treated bed nets are one of the most effective ways to prevent malaria infection when they are consistently used.

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。