VOA慢速英语:Hunger Costs Ethiopian Economy Billions Of Dollars

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

A new study shows that child hunger costs Ethiopia billions of dollars a year in economic losses. The research showed that in 2009, the country lost an estimated $4.7 billion because its children do not get enough to eat, that is equal to 16.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product.

一项新研究显示，儿童饥饿每年给埃塞俄比亚造成数十亿美元的经济损失。该研究表明，在2009年，由于儿童吃不饱，该国估计损失了47亿美元，相当于其国内生产总值的16.5%。

The report says poor nutrition has slowed growth and development in two of every five children in Ethiopia, and it says 80 percent of malnourished children do not get treatments.

报告说，营养不良减缓了埃塞俄比亚2/5儿童的生长发育，同时80%营养不良的儿童未能得到治疗。

The African Union Commission, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and Ethiopian government agencies did the study. The research shows that malnutrition causes more than 20 percent of child deaths in Ethiopia. And the report notes that the deaths have reduced the number of working people in the country by eight percent.

非洲联盟委员会、联合国世界粮食计划署(简称WFP)和埃塞俄比亚政府机构进行了这项研究。研究结果表明，营养不良占到了埃塞俄比亚儿童死亡原因的20%以上。报告还指出，这一死亡使得该国劳动力减少了8%。

Elizabeth Byrs is a World Food Program official.

伊丽莎白·拜尔(Elizabeth Byrs)是世界粮食计划署的官员。

"The study estimates that Ethiopia could reduce losses by $12.5 billion by 2025, if it reduces underweight rates to five percent and stunting to 10 percent."

她表示，“该研究估计，如果埃塞俄比亚能把体重不足的比例降低到5%，发育不良的比例降低到10%，那么到2025年就能减少125亿美元的损失。”

The report says under developed or stunted children in early education repeat grades more than non-stunted children. In addition, stunted children in Ethiopia are more likely to drop out of school, meaning they will end their education before it is completed.

报告称，与非发育不良的儿童相比，发育不良儿童在早期教育中留级次数更多。此外，发育不良的埃塞俄比亚儿童更容易辍学，这意味着他们会在毕业前停止接受教育。

Mrs Byrs said the effects of stunting do not end with childhood. Instead, she said, stunting remains a life-long problem. She said it affects both those who suffer from it, and the larger society. The report says nearly 70 percent of adults in Ethiopia have suffered from stunting as children. It says this means more than 26 million people of working age have not been able to reach their potential.

拜尔女士说，发育不良的影响不会随着童年而结束。相反，她说，发育不良仍然是一个终身问题。她表示，这不仅会影响到发育不良者，还会影响到大社会。报告称，埃塞俄比亚近70%的成年人在儿童时期经历过发育不良，这意味着超过2600万适龄劳动力没能达到他们的潜力。

The report notes that adults who were stunted as children are less likely to have jobs that require a lot of physical labor, because they generally are smaller. It says this results in earnings losses.

报告指出，在儿童时期发育不良的成年人不太可能获得需要大量体力劳动的工作，因为他们一般身材比较小。报告称，这会导致收入损失。

Mrs Byrs said the Ethiopian government recently launched a half-billion dollar National Nutrition Program, because the effects of the malnutrition are so severe. She said the government's program would provide food and vitamins to young children from birth through age 5. She said the goal is to prevent stunting during the first 1,000 days of life.

拜尔女士还表示，埃塞俄比亚政府最近推出了一个价值5亿美元的国民营养计划，因为影响不良造成的影响已经相当严重。她说，这项政府计划将为从出生到5岁的幼儿提供食物和维生素，其目标是在幼儿最初的1000天里防止发育不良。

Mrs Byrs also said the program will increase school feeding programs. She said support programs for pregnant and breast-feeding women will be developed in health centers and hospitals.

拜尔女士还表示，该计划将会提升学校供餐计划。她表示，孕妇和哺乳期妇女扶持计划也将在保健中心和医院开展。