VOA标准英语African Countries Debate Using DDT in Anti-Mal
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2011年(七月)
African Countries Debate Using DDT in Anti-Malaria 1 Efforts
The chemical pesticide 2 DDT has been banned by most countries for use in agriculture, but some continue to use it indoors to kill insects that carry malaria.
In Zambia, it's an important part of the government's malaria control program, and the controlled use of DDT spray has led to a reduction in malaria cases over the years.
Other African countries are facing a rise in the number of cases and several African governments are considering the carefully monitored use of DDT as part of their strategy against the disease.
In Malawi, for example, the Department of Health may undertake a DDT spray program in malaria prone-areas.
There is no doubt that DDT is very effective in killing 3 mosquitoes. The problem lies in what other effects DDT may have on human health, wildlife, environment, horticulture and crops.
Malawi's secretary of health, Chris Kang'ombe, was part of a delegation 4 that visited Zambia to learn how the use of DDT has helped reduce malaria there.
Kang'ombe is convinced that DDT can help reduce the spread of malaria in Africa -- if handled under controlled conditions by trained personnel and monitored by government agencies.
He says, "DDT is used for indoor spraying. It is used to only spray within, inside the house, dwelling 5 houses. What we have learnt (from Zambia) and we know from our experience here (in Malawi), the other chemicals [are active for] up to about two or three months, whereas with DDT you are talking of six months plus. So in terms of "residue 6 effect," it (DDT) is better, and also eventually the cost of indoor spraying...will be much cheaper, more cost effective than using other chemicals. "
While authorities in Malawi are still considering using DDT in malaria control, a thorny 7 issue has arisen.
The Tobacco Control Commission is against the idea of using the pesticide. Tobacco is the mainstay of Malawi's economy, and there's fear that Western consumers will not buy it if there are any traces of DDT on the crops. So the commission will likely require careful monitoring if Malawi is to start using DDT in malaria control.
Similar views are shared by Uganda's Network on Toxic 8 Free Malaria Control. The network is against the use of DDT as a malaria control strategy.
"We have no law specifically for DDT," says Network Secretary General Ellady Muyambi . " We have no trained manpower. We do not have equipment in terms of transportation facilities, in terms of storage facilities, in terms of disposal facilities, in terms of laboratories for chromatography.? We do not have the capacity. We are still relaying on donor 9 funding and we are saying why can't our country use its own resources to deal with its own problems, especially these ones like malaria.," says Muyambi.
Also involved in the DDT debate is Kenya, another country debating whether to use the pesticide.
Shrikant Bhatt professor of medicine at the University of Nairobi in Kenya explains why the controlled use of DDT should be reintroduced. "We are almost getting defeated by the pandemic that is occurring due to malaria. [Anti-malarial] drugs are gaining resistance [to the parasite]. You know we have very few drugs which we can use as effective means of controlling malaria. So, I think we do not have any option but to reintroduce DDT in a limited way, [like] spraying DDT indoors or using it in endemic areas we should be able to contain the malaria pandemic," he explains.
The International Centre for Insect Physiology 10 and Ecology (ICIPE), also based in Kenya, is taking different approach.
John Githure a researcher at the centre says "ICIPE is largely concentrating on how we can come up with innovative 11 ways or even using available products to kill the mosquitoes at larval stage. "
One such product uses soil-dwelling bacteria called bacillus thuringiensis, or BTi.
Githure says ,"we are trying to introduce that in Africa and ICIPE have of course gone ahead to construct a demonstration 12 factory that will be able to at least make the product BTi available, affordable 13 and accessible to the community to use for mosquito control."
Meanwhile, the government and various organizations including Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation are encouraging free distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and sleeping under bed-nets as short term measure for malaria control.
For VOA Africa...I am Sanday Chongo Kabange in Lusaka, Zambia.
- 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。
- The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
- This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。
- Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
- Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
- The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
- We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。
- Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
- He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
- Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
- Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期,就会导致残留问题。
- The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
- The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。
- The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
- There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
- In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下,接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
- The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
- He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
- He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。
- Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
- He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。
- His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
- He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。
- 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。