VOA标准英语2015--新测试将颠覆的改变根除疟疾方式

New Test Set to Be Game Changer in Eradicating¹ Malaria² 新测试将颠覆的改变根除疟疾方式

NAIROBI, KENYA—

The World Health Organization estimates 3.4 billion people are at risk of malaria, with children under the age of five and pregnant women being the most vulnerable.

As World Malaria Day approaches (April 25), mortality rates are falling and a new test - well into the last stage of trials - is having positive results in Kenya.

Fatuma Chaunga, a mother of two, lives in the coastal³ region of Likoni in Mombasa. Two years ago, most of Chaunga’s income from selling french fries and deep-fried buns was spent on hospital bills to treat malaria.

Mombasa is a malaria-prone region. More than 60 percent of the population is at risk of malaria in Kenya, where almost 36,000 children die from the disease each year.

Bed nets

A non-governmental organization called "Population Services Kenya" distributes insecticide-treated bed nets to pregnant mothers and mothers with children under one year old. Chaunga was one of the beneficiaries.

“If I do not use the net, my children will get malaria, and I will have to go to hospital or use herbal medicine," said Chaunga. "That is before I knew of MRDT. Now that I know of it, I see the importance of using the net so as to save on costs of going for treatment and use the little money I have to sustain my family.”

The MRDT that Chaunga mentions is the Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test. In 2010, the World Health Organization recommended every suspected malaria case be confirmed by parasitological testing. PS Kenya provides the test to more than 4,000 public health facilities.

The MRDT gives results in 20 minutes and costs $1, which is affordable⁴ even in rural communities.  

Dr. Dismas Osoro said it has helped reduce the abuse of antibiotics⁵.

“Because earlier people were just taking anti-malarials without a test. This time we have got the importance of it. We test and dispense⁶ anti-malarials, so the reckless use of anti-malarial drugs has been controlled,” said Osoro.

The World Health Organization estimates there were 198 million cases of malaria in 2013, which led to 584,000 deaths world-wide -- most of them in Africa among children under the age of five.

That makes mosquito-net distribution in malaria-endemic regions crucial.

Behavioral changes

But, according to PS Kenya regional programs coordinator⁷ James Makiri, the biggest challenge is changing mindsets.

“People tend to sleep under the net during the rainy season. But during the dry season, when it is hot, they do not sleep under [the] net because it is too hot. So what we are trying to do is encourage people to sleep under [the] net every time of the year.”

For 30 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collaborated⁸ with the Kenya Medical Research Institute to fight malaria.  This collaboration⁹ is developing a vaccine¹⁰ being tested on 16,000 children.  

Professor Francis Kimani said the results have been promising¹¹ - but it's only part of a multi-pronged effort.

“We are coming up with newer vector control methods. We are coming up with new drugs. We are monitoring the drugs that are in use to make sure that they work well and users use them well," said Kimani. "And also, we are coming up with newer strategies to protect the host. And when you do all those things in an integrated fashion we are hoping that at the end of the day we will win against Malaria.”

Chaunga said she hopes that more and more people will embrace mosquito nets and embrace modern methods of testing for malaria - further bringing down mortality rates that WHO says are at 47 percent globally and 54 percent in Africa.

1 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。

2 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。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

5 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

6 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 collaborated   

合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
• We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

10 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。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。