VOA标准英语2008年-India to Heighten Effort to Combat Polio, Malar

Efforts are about to be increased in India to combat two serious communicable diseases - polio and malaria¹. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi that India is to receive more than $500 million from the World Bank to increase malaria prevention efforts.

Approval from the World Health Organization is pending² for a new more powerful oral vaccine³ to try to eradicate⁴ the most serious type of polio affecting Indian children.
　
Mothers & children awaiting HHS Secretary Leavitt's arrival to administer polio vaccine drops to their kids

A pilot program using the vaccine has already been conducted in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

One of India's top polio experts, Dr. T. Jacob John calls this encouraging. Speaking from Vellore in Tamil Nadu, he tells VOA News the current vaccine, meant to provide immunity⁵ against all three polio-virus types, has been shown to be of limited effectiveness against Type 1 polio.

"The Sabin vaccine, which contains Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3, is much less efficacious in tropical countries, particularly in India," he said. "The why is not known, but the observation has been consistent."

There has been a worrying resurgence⁶ of Type 1 polio in the wild in India in recent years. It is considered the most dangerous variant⁷ because of its ability to spread effectively among children and is the type most identified with paralysis⁸.

Besides India, polio remains⁹ endemic in Nigeria, Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
　
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt holding child and polio vaccine in India

Epidemiologists report about 350 polio cases this year in India - second in number in the world only to Nigeria, where more than 500 cases have been logged.

Dr. John, who chairs the India Expert Advisory¹⁰ Group on polio, says using the different single-variant oral vaccine, containing a triple dose of the Type 1 virus, will produce only a slight advantage.

"If you increase the potency¹¹ three-times higher, never expect a three-times better response," said Dr. John. "Maybe another five percent of 10 percent of children may respond."

On another front in the war against communicable diseases, India is to receive $520 million from the World Bank, mainly to combat malaria.

U.N. officials say the package is the largest single project the World Bank has ever financed for malaria control in one country. Two million new malaria cases are reported in India every year.

Officials say the project will include anti-mosquito spraying and distribution of bed nets, as well as preventive treatments for more than 100 million Indians.

The United Nations warns that falciparum malaria, a severe form of the often fatal disease, is increasing in the country due to increased resistance to chloroquine, traditional the primary drug to fight malaria.

 

1 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。

2 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

3 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。

4 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

5 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

6 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

7 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

8 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

11 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。