2006年VOA标准英语-One-Third of African Children Are Undernou

By Rowan Reid
Johannesburg
03 May 2006
 
A study by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that almost one-third of children in southern and eastern Africa are undernourished and that little progress is being made on addressing the problem.  UNICEF says the situation in many countries is actually deteriorating¹.

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Food seller at a market in Alem Kitmama, Ethiopia 
  

In this, its fourth report card on nutrition, UNICEF says nearly one-third of all children under the age of five in Eastern and Southern Africa are dangerously underweight and are losing out on essential nutrition.  The report blames the situation on poverty, conflict, drought, and food crises in the region and points to the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a major contributing factor.

The report called, Progress for Children, says only one country in the region, Botswana, is on track to achieve the first Millennium² Development Goal of eradicating³ extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. 

UNICEF's senior nutritional⁴ advisor⁵ Saba Mebrahtu says malnutrition⁶ has a number of negative effects on developing countries. "Malnutrition can contribute to as high as 60 percent directly or indirectly⁷ to child mortality,” says Mebrahtu.  “Another is the effect it has on cognitive⁸ development, malnutrition can lead to a loss of 10-12 IQ (Intelligence Quotient) points in children, so this means their school performance will be affected⁹, and then also later on in life their economic productivity will not be as high.  This will lead in the long term to higher poverty levels due to decreased economic productivity."

Mebrahtu says Botswana, while on track, also has problems. "There was a diarrhea outbreak because of E. coli and cryptosporydium, about 470 children have died because of that outbreak,” she explained.  “The majority of the children that died because of the diarrhea were not breast fed and they were undernourished.  What this is showing is the importance of breast feeding where access to safe water is low and hygienic practices are not optimum."

The report says mineral and vitamin supplements are essential to addressing the problem in some of the poorest communities.  Iodine¹⁰ deficiencies are being controlled in seven countries through the compulsory¹¹ sale of iodized salt.

Girl carries a water jug¹² near Alem Kitmama, Ethiopia   
  
But Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition Chairman Jay Naidoo warns that food fortification and supplements will not solve all the problems. "Fortification is a cost effective way of dealing¹³ with micro-nutrient deficiency, but it still requires people to have disposable income to buy the food,” he said.  “So where we are dealing with countries with large parts of the population that are living in absolute poverty, it requires food aid, it requires us to change the way economic relations operate in the world particularly when it comes to trade."

Mebrahtu says UNICEF will continue to lobby governments, NGO's and the private sector¹⁴ to implement¹⁵ new food-supplement programs.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 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。

3 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

4 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

7 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

8 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 iodine   

n.碘，碘酒

参考例句：

• The doctor painted iodine on the cut.医生在伤口上涂点碘酒。
• Iodine tends to localize in the thyroid.碘容易集于甲状腺。

11 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

12 jug   

n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂

参考例句：

• He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。
• She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。

13 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

15 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。