VOA健康报道2024--Ivory Coast Launches First Malaria Vaccine Program

Ivory Coast Launches First Malaria¹ Vaccine² Program

Health workers in Ivory Coast have launched the country’s first child vaccination³ program against malaria.

The effort aims to reduce cases of the mosquito-spread disease, which has become one of Africa’s biggest killers⁴.

Officials in the West African nation said the program is designed to cover about 250,000 children under the age of two. The three-shot vaccine was developed by Britain’s Oxford⁵ University. The World Health Organization (WHO) approved the vaccine last October.

Research has shown the vaccine to be more than 75 percent effective at preventing severe disease and death during the first year. A second shot, called a booster, aims to extend the protection for at least another year.

India’s Serum⁶ Institute has already made 25 million doses of the Oxford vaccine. It says it plans to make at least 100 million each year. The cost is $4 per dose.

More than 95 percent of the world's estimated 249 million yearly malaria cases and 608,000 deaths happen in Africa. The disease most often affects children under the age of five, as well as pregnant women.

Pierre Demba is Ivory Coast's health minister. He told reporters the malaria vaccine launch demonstrates the government's desire to invest in the country's children. "They are the future of our country,” he said.

Adrian Hill of Oxford University said in a statement that the effort “marks the start of a new era in malaria control.” He added that he hopes the shot will soon be available to all countries in Africa who want to use it.

Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic are among the nations that have already approved the vaccine. Other countries, including Cameroon, have begun widespread vaccination programs.

Alice Kanga was one of many mothers who brought children to get vaccinated⁷. She told reporters from The Associated Press, “It’s really important for the children, for their health."

In one poor neighborhood in the city of Abidjan, many women waited with their babies for shots, the French news agency AFP reported.

One mother brought her eight-month-old daughter, Awa. Sitting on her mother's knees and held tightly between her arms, the child cried while preparing to receive her first dose. "I'm happy,” Awa's mother said with a smile. “I have seen all the mothers who have come to be vaccinated against malaria."

Officials from the WHO have warned that even with the new vaccination campaign, other measures should continue to be taken to stop disease spread. These include spraying with chemical insect killers and using bed nets for protection.

Words in This Story

era - n. a period of time in history that is notable for a particular reason

net – n. a material made of crossed threads with holes between that is used for capturing or protecting things

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 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 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 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

5 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

6 serum   

n.浆液，血清，乳浆

参考例句：

• The serum is available to the general public.一般公众均可获得血清。
• Untreated serum contains a set of 11 proteins called complement.未经处理的血清含有一组蛋白质，共11种，称为补体。

7 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？