The World Health Organization says there has been a sharp drop in the number of deaths among children under age five. The just released report, World Health Statistics 2009, shows 27 percent fewer children died in 2007, the last year for which statistics were compiled, than in 1990.
世界卫生组织表示，五岁以下儿童的死亡率有大幅度下降。刚公布的2009年世界卫生统计报告显示，和1990年相比，2007年儿童死亡人数减少了27%。2007年也是汇编统计的最后一年。
The World Health Statistics Report shows about nine million children died in 2007 compared to 12.5 million in 1990. It says some countries are making good progress toward meeting the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting child deaths by two-thirds by 2015. But it says many other countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, will fail to reach that target.
世界卫生统计报告显示，2007年有大约900万儿童死亡，而1990年有1,250万。报告表示，一些国家取得优异的进展，朝着联合国的千年发展目标迈进，联合国的目标是在2015年前把儿童死亡率降低三分之二。但报告也表示，很多其他国家，特别是撒哈拉以南的非洲，将无法达到目标。
This year's report focuses on how well countries are doing in reaching eight-stated Millennium Development Goals, including cutting poverty by half and reducing child and maternal mortality. The results are mixed.
今年的报告集中在各国在达到八项千年发展目标方面的情况，发展目标包括减少一半贫穷和降低儿童及产妇死亡率。这些结果有好有坏。
For example, the report says progress is being made in bringing down child deaths, but there has been little or no movement in maternal and newborn health.
举例来说，报告表示，在降低儿童死亡率方面作出了进展，然而，在产妇以及新生儿健康方面却极少或没有任何进步。
It says an estimated 37 percent of deaths among children occur in the first month of life, and most in the first week of life. It says most infant deaths happen in regions where maternal mortality rates are the highest.
报告表示，在儿童中，估计有37%的死亡发生在出生后第一个月，大多数在出生后第一星期。报告说，婴儿死亡最多的发生在产妇死亡率最高的区域。
Coordinator in WHO's department of Health Statistics and Informatics, Carla Abou-Zahr, says there are a whole range of issues that hold countries back.
世卫组织健康统计暨资讯部门协调员阿布-察尔表示，有很多问题使一些国家停滞不前。
"You cannot say it is just lack of resources or it is just lack of commitment," said Abou-Zahr. "Usually there are very weak institutions in many of these countries. Many of them are emerging from conflicts. And, sub-Saharan Africa in particular, especially in Eastern and Southern Africa are facing major problems of HIV, which has had a huge impact on especially child mortality, life expectancy in general. So, that is being a factor that is constraining for the progress for those countries."
“你不能说这只是缺少资源或缺少承诺。通常这些国家的机构体制非常脆弱。他们之中许多刚刚经历了冲突，尤其是撒哈拉以南的非洲，特别是东部及南部非洲正面临艾滋病的问题，对儿童死亡率及一般预期寿命有巨大的影响。所以，这成为限制这些国家进步的一项要素。”
But Abou-Zahr hastens to add that countries in Africa do not present a uniformly bleak picture. For instance, she says signs of improvement can be seen in places such as Tanzania and Rwanda.
但是，阿布-察尔很快的补充说，非洲国家并不是都情况暗淡。譬如，她说在一些地方，像坦桑尼亚和卢旺达，有进步的迹象。
The report argues building a health system that is efficient and really works is not purely a financial matter. Many elements are involved.
这份报告也指出，建立一个有效率且真正运作的健康系统不只是纯粹的财务问题。许多要素都牵涉在内。
But WHO Health Statistics and Informatics Department Director Ties Boerma says money talks when it comes to providing good health.
但是世卫组织健康统计暨资讯部门负责人布尔马表示，在提供良好的保健方面，钱是起关键作用的。
"If we look at per-capita health expenditure, in the low income countries, it is $22 per capita," said Boerma. "In the high-income countries, it is $4,012. Another one. Doctors for 10,000 people. In Africa, there are two doctors for 10,000 people. In the European region, there are 32 doctors for 10,000 people."
“如果我们看看人均健康支出，低收入国家是人均22美元。在高收入国家，则是平均每人4,012美元。另外，在非洲，两名医生为一万人服务。在欧洲，32名医生为一万人服务。”
In one of its many statistical graphs, the WHO study shows money can mean the difference between life and death. It notes three out of 1,000 children under age five die in Iceland, Sweden and Finland compared to 262 child deaths per 1,000 live births in Sierra Leone.
报告的许多图表之一显示，世卫组织的研究表明金钱可能意味着生与死的不同。研究指出，就五岁以下的儿童来说，在冰岛、瑞典和芬兰，一千人中有三人死亡，而在塞拉利昂，在一千名新生婴儿中有262名死亡。 |