Children’s lives?at stake, COVID threatens to undo 30 years of ‘remarkable progress’

9 September 2020

Health UN

COVID-19 threatens to undo?decades of?hard-foughtprogress in reducing deaths of children under the age of five, UN agencies have warned, calling on countries to ensure vital health services for children and women do not falter?amid the global crisis.

at stake:處于危險(xiǎn)之中

undo ?/?n?du?/ ?( un·does /?n?d?z/ ?un·did /?n?d?d/ ?un·done /?n?d?n/ ?)

1.to open sth that is fastened, tied or wrapped 打開；解開；拆開??to undo a button/knot/zip, etc. 解開紐扣、解開繩結(jié)、拉開拉鎖等??to undo a jacket/shirt, etc. 解開上衣、襯衫等

2.to cancel the effect of sth 消除，取消，廢止（某事的影響）?He undid most of the good work of the previous manager. 他把前任經(jīng)理的大部分功績都?xì)У袅恕?UNDO撤銷（計(jì)算機(jī)的還原指令）

3. ( formal ) to make sb/sth fail 打??；挫敗??The team was undone by the speed and strength of their opponents. 這個(gè)隊(duì)被對手的速度和體力打敗了。

hard-fought ?adj.艱苦斗爭的；激烈戰(zhàn)斗的?? a hard-fought battle/win/victory 激烈的戰(zhàn)斗；來之不易的勝利

Falter??v. /?f??lt?(r)/ ?

1.[ V ] to become weaker or less effective 衰弱；衰退；衰落?The economy shows no signs of faltering. 經(jīng)濟(jì)沒有衰退的跡象。?Her courage never faltered. 她從未氣餒過。

2.（嗓音）顫抖；結(jié)巴地說；支吾其詞?His voice faltered as he began his speech. 他開始演講時(shí)說話結(jié)結(jié)巴巴。

3.[ V ] to walk or behave in a way that shows that you are not confident 蹣跚；搖晃；猶豫；畏縮??She walked up to the platform without faltering. 她健步走上了講臺

The number of global under-five deaths dropped to its lowest point on record in 2019 – down to 5.2 million, from 12.5 million in 1990. However, there are fears the numbers could rise on back of COVID-induced disruptions to child and maternal?health services, new?estimates?released on Wednesday, indicate.?

induce ?v. /?n?dju?s/ vt. 誘導(dǎo)；引起；引誘；感應(yīng)

maternal ?/m??t??nl/ adj. 母親的；母性的；母系的；母體遺傳的

Services experiencing disruptions include health checkups, vaccinations, and prenatal and?post-natal care. Reasons include resource?constraints?and a general uneasiness with using health services due to a fear of getting?COVID-19,?according?to the UN agencies.?

health checkup：體檢

prenatal?/?pri??ne?tl/ adj. 產(chǎn)前的；胎兒期的；[醫(yī)] 出生以前的? ? ?prenatal?care 產(chǎn)前護(hù)理

post-natal?/,p?ust 'neitl/ 產(chǎn)后的；分娩后的? post-natal care 產(chǎn)后護(hù)理

Over the past 30 years, health services to prevent or treat causes of child death such as preterm, low birth weight, complications?during birth, neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhoea?and malaria, as well as vaccination, have played a large role in saving millions of lives, added the agencies.?

Preterm /?pri??t??m/ (嬰兒)早產(chǎn)的；早產(chǎn)地?complication?during birth 這里指產(chǎn)后并發(fā)癥

neonatal /?ni????ne?t?l/ ADJ(嬰兒)新生的 ?the neonatal intensive care unit. 新生兒特別護(hù)理間。

sepsis /?s?ps?s/ ?敗血癥? ? ??neonatal sepsis?新生兒敗血癥? ?Pneumonia /nju??m??n??/?肺炎 diarrhoea /?da???ri??/ ?腹瀉? ? ?Malaria??n. /m??le?ri?/ ?瘧疾，瘴氣

The estimates, contained in the report?Levels and Trends in Child Mortality: Report 2020, were issued by UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the World Bank Group.?

Safeguard achievements from COVID?

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, recalled the feat and outlined the challenges.?

“The fact that today more children live to see their first birthday than any time in history is a true mark of what can be achieved when the world puts health and well-being at the centre of our response,” he said.?

?“Now, we must not let the COVID-19 pandemic turn back remarkable progress for our children and future generations. Rather, it’s time to use what we know works to save lives, and keep investing in stronger, resilient health systems.”?

UNICEF and WHO surveys?

Surveys conducted by UNICEF and WHO in 77 and 105 countries, respectively, found high numbers of countries reporting disruptions in health services critical to prevent?new-born and child deaths. ?

The?UNICEF survey?found that almost 68 per cent of the countries faced disruptions in health checks for children and immunization services; 63 per cent had disruptions in antenatal check-ups; and 59 per cent in post-natal care.?

immunization /??mjuna??ze??n/ ?免疫接種，免疫法，免疫作用，免疫

antenatal adj. ??/??nti?ne?tl/ （英國） 產(chǎn)前的? antenatal care/classes/screening 產(chǎn)前保健╱學(xué)習(xí)班╱篩查?? an antenatal clinic 產(chǎn)前檢查診所·antenatal check-up?產(chǎn)前檢查

WHO findings?showed 52 per cent of countries had disruptions in health services for sick children; and 51 per cent in services for management of malnutrition?– equally important to safeguard healthy lives.?

malnutrition n. /?m?lnju??tr??n/ ?營養(yǎng)不良

Challenges included parents avoiding health centres for fear of infection, transport restrictions, suspension or closure of services and facilities, fewer healthcare workers or shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), and greater financial difficulties.?

suspension ?n. /s??spen?n/ ?懸浮；暫停；停職

Afghanistan, Bolivia, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen are among the hardest hit countries.?

Afghanistan?/?f?ɡ?n?stɑ?n; ?f?ɡ?n?st?n/ 阿富汗

?Bolivia ?/b??l?vi?/ 玻利維亞（南美洲西部國家）

Cameroon /?k?m??ru?n/ 喀麥?。ㄎ鞣菄?/span>

the Central African Republic 中非共和國

Libya/?l?bi?/n. 埃及以西的北非地方古名；利比亞?

Madagascar /?m?d??ɡ?sk?(r)/馬達(dá)加斯加島（非洲島國）

Pakistan /?p?k?st?n/（南亞國家名）巴基斯坦

Sudan /su?dɑ?n; su?d?n/ 蘇丹（非洲國家）???

Yemen /?jem?n/也門（西南亞國家）

World has come too far to stop?

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, called for urgent investments to restart disrupted health systems and services.?

The global community has come too far towards eliminating preventable child deaths to allow the COVID-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks?– Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director?

“The global community has come too far towards eliminating preventable child deaths to allow the COVID-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks,” she said, adding:?

“When children are denied access to health services because the system is overrun, and when women are afraid to give birth at the hospital for fear of infection, they, too, may become?casualties?of COVID-19.”?

casualty ?n. /?k??u?lti/ 意外事故；傷亡人員；急診室

Urgent action needed?

The surveys also highlighted the need for urgent action to restore and improve childbirth services, and antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and babies, including having skilled health workers to care for them at birth. Working with parents to assuage their fears and reassure them is also important.?

Assuage??v. /??swe?d?/ ?( formal ) to make an unpleasant feeling less severe 緩和，減輕（不快）

Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, underlined the need to protect the vital, life-saving services that are key to reducing child mortality.?

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put years of global progress to end preventable child deaths in serious jeopardy?… It is essential to protect life-saving services which have been key to reducing child mortality. We will continue to work with governments and partners to reinforce healthcare systems to ensure mothers and children get the services they need,” he said.?

jeopardy /?d?ep?di/ ?n. 危險(xiǎn)；（被告處于被判罪或受處罰的）危險(xiǎn)境地

1. IN ?JEOPARDY?：in a dangerous position or situation and likely to be lost or harmed 處于危險(xiǎn)境地；受到威脅

Redress inequities?

redress ?/r??dres/

V ( formal ) to correct sth that is unfair or wrong 糾正；矯正；改正??to redress an injustice 糾正不公

N ~ (for/against sth) ( formal ) payment, etc. that you should get for sth wrong that has happened to you or harm that you have suffered 賠款；損失賠償??to seek legal redress for unfair dismissal 因橫遭解雇而提起賠償訴訟

習(xí)語. redress the ?balance：to make a situation equal or fair again 恢復(fù)公平合理的情況；恢復(fù)平衡

John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, also drew attention to address inequalities within societies that impact health. ?

“The report demonstrates the ongoing progress worldwide in reducing child mortality … While it highlights the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on interventions that are critical for children’s health, it also draws attention to the need to redress the vast inequities in a child's prospects for survival and good health,” he said.

原文鏈接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1071922?