象牙海岸北部爆发脑膜炎

 

Meningitis Breaks Out in Northern Ivory Coast

象牙海岸北部爆发脑膜炎

 

Health care workers in Ivory Coast say there has been an outbreak of meningitis behind rebel lines in the northern part of the country. Health care workers in the North have been struggling to reestablish the health care system there.

 

Civilians¹ in the rebel-held town of Bouna are facing a meningitis epidemic² that has killed over 60 people in the last month according to UNICEF. The area is in a region held by rebels who failed to topple President Laurent Gbagbo in September 2002 but still occupy the northern half of the West African country.

 

Health professionals fear the situation will get worse because few doctors and nurses are in the region to help stem the spread of the disease. In addition, meningitis is easily transmitted through direct contact. The disease causes an infection in the spinal³ fluid and brain and, in severe cases, it can cause brain damage, even death.

 

A doctor with the United Nations children's agency, Leonard Kouadio, says that UNICEF warned in a report published at the end of January of the likelihood of this outbreak.

 

Dr. Kouadio says the report was submitted to the Ivory Coast ministry⁴ of health and it was up to the government to declare an epidemic, and mobilize resources to vaccinate⁵ people.

 

Since fighting began in 2002, health structures in the north and the west of the country suffered, because 80 percent of doctors and nurses fled villages for the relative safety of large towns.

 

Despite the breakdown⁶ of medical care, some areas in the region seem to have managed.

 

A doctor in the health center in the northern town of Korhogo, Dr. Abel Guede said that during the crisis his health center was still able to function.

 

Dr. Guede says that during the crisis the center depended on the attendants who helped doctors and nurses. Although they did not know everything, they knew enough to provide people with basic services including vaccinations⁸.

 

UNICEF has been trying to encourage government-employed health workers to go back to the north for the past two years, reassuring⁹ them that it is safe to work there. And, they have had some success.

 

Since a country-wide vaccination⁷ campaign in 2004, some 28 vaccination centers have reopened providing free vaccinations for mothers and babies. Vaccines¹⁰ for most childhood disease are given free but meningitis vaccines cost three dollars per shot, too much for most people to afford.

 

Gabi Menezes, for VOA news, Ivory Coast, Bouake.

 

注释：

UNICEF [5ju:nisef] abbr. 联合国儿童基金会

stem [stem] v. 组织

spinal [5spainl] adj. 脊骨的

likelihood [5laiklihud] n. 可能性

meningitis [7menin5dVaitis] n. 脑膜炎

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

6 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

7 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。

8 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》

9 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

10 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。