Study Finds Drop in Deaths of Mothers in Developing World

    This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
    这里是VOA慢速英语健康报道。

    A new study says fewer women in developing nations are dying of pregnancy-related causes. Researchers estimated how many mothers died during or soon after childbirth in one hundred eighty-one countries. They found a drop of more than thirty-five percent worldwide in the past thirty years.
    一项新的研究显示,发展中国家因怀孕相关原因而死亡的女性人数正在减少。研究人员评估了181个国家中分娩期间或分娩后不久死亡的孕产妇
    数量。他们发现,在过去三十年,全世界孕产妇死亡人数下降了35%以上。

    By their count, the number fell from more than a half-million in nineteen eighty to about three hundred forty-three thousand in two thousand eight. That year, about two hundred fifty mothers died for every one hundred thousand live births worldwide.
    根据他们的统计,孕产妇死亡人数从1980年的50多万下降到2008年的34.3万。2008年,世界上每10万例活产婴儿中大约有250位孕产妇死亡。

    The researchers say the maternal death rate has been falling almost one and a half percent a year since nineteen ninety. Earlier reports suggested little change between nineteen eighty and nineteen ninety, but the new study disputes that.
    研究人员表示,1990年以来,孕产妇死亡率以每年近1.5%的速度下降。此前的报道显示,1980年到1990年期间的孕产妇死亡率没有太大的变化
    ,而这份新的报告对此表示质疑。

    The researchers used government records, medical records, surveys and other information. They developed new methods to get what they say are the best estimates yet for almost every country.
    研究人员使用了政府记录,医疗记录,调查和其他信息。他们开发了一种能够对各国的情况作出最好的评估的新方法。

    They say the progress is a result of greater efforts to reduce maternal deaths.
    他们说,取得的这种进展是各国努力减少孕产妇死亡的结果。

    Christopher Murray at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle led the study. He says more education of women in developing countries has helped lower maternal death rates. More of them are giving birth in hospitals.
    西雅图华盛顿大学健康指标和评估研究所的Christopher Murray主导这份研究。他说,发展中国家女性教育程度的提高帮助降低了孕产妇死亡
    率,更多的女性在医院生产。

    Doctor Murray says lower fertility rates around the world, combined with higher earnings, are also reducing deaths.
    Murray医生表示,全世界生育率的降低以及收入水平的提高也降低了孕产妇死亡率。

    The nations found to have the biggest reductions were Egypt, Ecuador and Bolivia. The researchers say China also had a sharp drop.
    孕产妇死亡率降低幅度最大的国家包括埃及,厄瓜多尔和玻利维亚。研究人员表示,中国的孕产妇死亡率也大幅下降。

    But since nineteen ninety maternal death rates have risen in some countries. Zimbabwe, for example, had a five and one-half percent increase per year. Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia also had increases.
    但是自1990年以来,某些国家的孕产妇死亡率不降反升。例如,津巴布韦每年的孕产妇死亡率上升了5.05%。阿富汗,印度,巴基斯坦,尼日利
    亚,刚果民主共和国和埃塞俄比亚也有所上升。

    H.I.V. has slowed the progress in reducing maternal deaths. The study linked almost one in every five such deaths in two thousand eight to the virus that causes AIDS.
    H.I.V减缓了降低孕产妇死亡率的进程。该研究显示,2008年每五例孕产妇死亡就有一例是由H.I.V导致。

    The researchers say maternal deaths rates have also increased in some wealthy countries. They found the number in the United States rose almost forty-two percent since nineteen ninety. Countries such as Canada and Norway also had increases. Doctor Murray says at least part of the increase is likely the result of better record keeping.
    研究人员表示,一些发达国家的孕产妇死亡率也有所上升。他们发现,自1990年以来,美国的孕产妇死亡率上升了近42%,加拿大和挪威等国的
    孕产妇死亡率也有所上升。Murray医生表示,至少部分的孕产妇死亡率上升可能是因为医疗记录更加完善。

    The study also included the University of Queensland in Australia. The report is in the Lancet.
    该研究还有澳大利亚昆士兰大学的参与。该研究报告发表在《柳叶刀》上。

    名词:
    maternal death rate:孕产妇死亡率
    University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle:西雅图华盛顿大学健康指标和评估研究所
    The Lancet:《柳叶刀》,世界上最悠久及最受重视的同行评审性质之医学期刊。