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:处于危险之中

undo  /ʌnˈduː/  ( un·does /ʌnˈdʌz/  un·did /ʌnˈdɪd/  un·done /ʌnˈdʌn/  )

1.to open sth that is fastened, tied or wrapped 打开；解开；拆开 •to undo a button/knot/zip, etc. 解开纽扣、解开绳结、拉开拉锁等 •to undo a jacket/shirt, etc. 解开上衣、衬衫等

2.to cancel the effect of sth 消除，取消，废止（某事的影响）•He undid most of the good work of the previous manager. 他把前任经理的大部分功绩都毁掉了。•UNDO撤销（计算机的还原指令）

3. ( formal ) to make sb/sth fail 打败；挫败 •The team was undone by the speed and strength of their opponents. 这个队被对手的速度和体力打败了。

hard-fought  adj.艰苦斗争的；激烈战斗的 • a hard-fought battle/win/victory 激烈的战斗；来之不易的胜利

Falter  v. /ˈfɔːltə(r)/  

1.[ V ] to become weaker or less effective 衰弱；衰退；衰落•The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。•Her courage never faltered. 她从未气馁过。

2.（嗓音）颤抖；结巴地说；支吾其词•His voice faltered as he began his speech. 他开始演讲时说话结结巴巴。

3.[ V ] to walk or behave in a way that shows that you are not confident 蹒跚；摇晃；犹豫；畏缩 •She walked up to the platform without faltering. 她健步走上了讲台

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. /ɪnˈdjuːs/ vt. 诱导；引起；引诱；感应

maternal  /məˈtɜːnl/ adj. 母亲的；母性的；母系的；母体遗传的

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：体检

prenatal /ˌpriːˈneɪtl/ adj. 产前的；胎儿期的；[医] 出生以前的     prenatal care 产前护理

post-natal /,pəust 'neitl/ 产后的；分娩后的• post-natal care 产后护理

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 /ˌpriːˈtɜːm/ (婴儿)早产的；早产地 complication during birth 这里指产后并发症

neonatal /ˌniːəʊˈneɪtəl/ ADJ(婴儿)新生的 •the neonatal intensive care unit. 新生儿特别护理间。

sepsis /ˈsɛpsɪs/  败血症      neonatal sepsis 新生儿败血症   Pneumonia /njuːˈməʊnɪə/ 肺炎 diarrhoea /ˌdaɪəˈriːə/  腹泻     Malaria  n. /məˈleəriə/  疟疾，瘴气

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 /ˌɪmjunaɪˈzeɪʃn/  免疫接种，免疫法，免疫作用，免疫

antenatal adj.   /ˌæntiˈneɪtl/ （英国） 产前的• antenatal care/classes/screening 产前保健╱学习班╱筛查 • an antenatal clinic 产前检查诊所·antenatal check-up 产前检查

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. /ˌmælnjuːˈtrɪʃn/  营养不良

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. /səˈspenʃn/  悬浮；暂停；停职

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

Afghanistan /æfˈɡænɪstɑːn; æfˈɡænɪstæn/ 阿富汗

 Bolivia  /bəˈlɪviə/ 玻利维亚（南美洲西部国家）

Cameroon /ˌkæməˈruːn/ 喀麦隆（西非国名）

the Central African Republic 中非共和国

Libya/ˈlɪbiə/n. 埃及以西的北非地方古名；利比亚 

Madagascar /ˌmædəˈɡæskə(r)/马达加斯加岛（非洲岛国）

Pakistan /ˈpækɪstæn/（南亚国家名）巴基斯坦

Sudan /suˈdɑːn; suˈdæn/ 苏丹（非洲国家）   

Yemen /ˈjemən/也门（西南亚国家）

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. /ˈkæʒuəlti/ 意外事故；伤亡人员；急诊室

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. /əˈsweɪdʒ/  ( formal ) to make an unpleasant feeling less severe 缓和，减轻（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 /ˈdʒepədi/  n. 危险；（被告处于被判罪或受处罚的）危险境地

1. IN ˈJEOPARDY ：in a dangerous position or situation and likely to be lost or harmed 处于危险境地；受到威胁

Redress inequities 

redress  /rɪˈdres/

V ( formal ) to correct sth that is unfair or wrong 纠正；矫正；改正 •to redress an injustice 纠正不公

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 赔款；损失赔偿 •to seek legal redress for unfair dismissal 因横遭解雇而提起赔偿诉讼

习语. redress the ˈbalance：to make a situation equal or fair again 恢复公平合理的情况；恢复平衡

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.

原文链接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1071922