Ethiopia has greatly reduced its death rates for children under the age of five years during the last two decades, new UN statistics show. The report says Ethiopia has cut the number of child deaths, by two thirds or so, to 68 per 1,000 births compared to that in 1990.
The government owed the improved figures to its growing economy. Despite the reduction, the UN Children's Fund said Ethiopia needed to do much more to improve health facilities(设施) for pregnant women.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest states, although it has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years and is one of the continent's leading coffee producers. Its economy centers around agriculture, which in turn relies on rainfall.
The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in the capital, Addis Ababa, says Ethiopia was once representative of poor nutrition in Africa. But the latest UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) figures show Ethiopia is one of the few African countries on the path to realizing the development goal of reducing child death rates, he says.
Ethiopia's Health Minister Kesetebirhan Admasu said increasing family incomes had helped improve people's health. "This has also resulted in better nutrition for children and women; this has translated into better medical conditions —— all these have a direct or indirect influence on the survival of children," he told BBC Africa. He said the government has also been "aggressively expanding its primary health care network".
"We have now 93% coverage( 覆盖) of one health centre for 25,000 people, which basically means one health facility within a 7km area," he said.
小题1:How many in 1000 births would die in Ethiopia in 1990?
A．about 680
B．about 330
C．about 68
D．about 200小题2:Which of the following statements is true?
A．Ethiopian children benefit from its fastest economy growing.
B．Ethiopia has a long way to go to improve health facilities.
C．Ethiopia is the economic center because of its rich rainfall.
D．Ethiopia has already become a rich state in Africa.小题3:What do we know according to the latest UNICEF figures?
A．Many African countries have high child death rates now.
B．Ethiopia is the only country that has reduced child death rates.
C．Ethiopia is the most successful in reducing child death rates.
D．Ethiopia was once known for its poor nutrition in Africa.小题4:What Kesetebirhan Admasu said shows that_______.
A．agricultural incomes have helped improve all the people's health in Africa
B．now the health care network is perfect in Ethiopia
C．93% of the 25,000 people enjoy health centers in Ethiopia
D．the government has been taking active measures to improve people's health
