VOA News - Keeping Count of Who Enters the World or Leaves

Today's Article
Keeping Count of Who Enters the World or Leaves

Summary:
Recording births, deaths and marriages is called civil registration. This helps governments planing schools, hospitals and other services. Yet this records do not be counted correct. Now, the Health Metrics Network will try to improve the situation. And with this numbers, people may know how official development aid each year is being spent wisely.

Vocabulary:
certificate
noun [C]
1 an official document which states that the information on it is true:
a birth/marriage/death certificate
a doctor's/medical certificate

2 the qualification that you receive when you are successful in an exam:
She has a Certificate in Drama Education.
estimates
verb [T]
to guess the cost, size, value, etc. of something:
Government sources estimate a long-term 50% increase in rail fares.
[+ (that)] They estimate (that) the journey will take at least two weeks.
[+ question word] It was difficult to estimate how many trees had been destroyed.

denied(deny)-refuse verb [T]
to not allow someone to have or do something:
Her request for time off work was denied.
No one should be denied a good education./A good education should be denied to no one.
[+ two objects] The goalkeeper denied him his third goal.
I was denied the opportunity of learning French at school.

limited(limit)
verb [T]
to control something so that it is not greater than a particular amount, number or level:
I've been asked to limit my speech to ten minutes maximum.
Having so little money to spend on an apartment does limit you in your choice.

none at all

launch
verb [I or T]
to begin something such as a plan or introduce something new such as a product:
campaign
noun [C]
1 a planned group of especially political, business or military activities which are intended to achieve a particular aim:
2 a group of connected actions or movements that forms part of a war:
journal(MAGAZINE)
noun [C]
a serious magazine or newspaper which is published regularly, usually about a specialist subject: a medical/trade journal
intensive
adjective
1 involving a lot of effort or activity in a short period of time:
two weeks of intensive training
an intensive course in English
Intensive bombing had reduced the city to rubble.

2 Intensive farming methods are intended to produce as much food as possible from an area of land:
intensive farming/agricultureefforts
noun
1 [C or U] physical or mental activity needed to achieve something:
[+ to infinitive] If we could all make an effort to keep this office tidier it would help.
You can't expect to have any friends if you don't make any effort with people.
In their efforts to reduce crime the government expanded the police force.
He's jogging round the park every morning in an effort to get fit for the football season.
It takes a long time to prepare the dish but the results are so good that it's worth the effort.

2 [C] the result of an attempt to produce something, especially when its quality is low or uncertain:
Do you want to have a look at his exam paper? It's a fairly poor effort.