Ingculaza EAfrika—Isixwayiso Emhlabeni!
“UMA unomuntu othandana naye oyedwa ngonyaka eminyakeni eyisithupha, nothandana nabo benza kanja-lo, cishe uyogcina ube nobuhlobo bobulili nabantu abangu-45 000.” Lokhu kubala okulula okwenziwa uDkt. K. E. Sapire, okucashunwe ephephabhukwini laseNingizimu Afrika iContinuing Medical Education kubonisa ukuba nokwenzeka okukhulu okukhona kokuthola ingculaza kwabanokuziphatha okuxekethile.
Pho kungani kugxilwa eAfrika?
Kungoba lokho okwenzeka lapho kuyisixwayiso emhlabeni. IAfrika ayiyona indawo ewukuphela kwayo lapho ukuziphatha okuxekethile kusakazeke khona. Kuyisenzakalo sembulunga yonke. “Ekugcineni,” kusho isazi sengculaza uDkt. Dennis Sifris, “wonke umuntu emhlabeni ohlanganyela ebulilini onabangane abangaphezu koyedwa kungenzeka usengozini.” Ngokufanayo, ngokukamagazini iU.S.News & World Report, ngokwezindinganiso zanamuhla ngisho “nomshado awusona isiqinisekiso sobuhlobo bobulili bendoda nowesifazane—noma ukwethembeka kumngane womshado—futhi ngenxa yalokhu awusona isivikelo esiphelele engculazeni.”
Ngaleyondlela, ngezizathu ezinhle, iphephabhuku iAfrican Affairs liyaxwayisa: “Lomqedazwe ungase uphindeke kwenye indawo.” Konke kubonisa ukuthi usizi lwaseAfrika luyaphindaphindeka kwezinye izingxenye eziningi zomhlaba.
Ngokwesibonelo, umagazini iNewsweek ubika ukuthi eBrazil, “izibalo ezandayo zabantu abahlanganyela ubulili bendoda nowesifazane ziye zathola ingculaza ezithandweni zazo ezinayo.” Inkonzo yezempilo yalelozwe ilinganisela ukuthi kakade ingxenye yesigidi inegciwane iHIV. “Uma kungenziwa lutho,” kusho uDkt. Carlos Alberto Morais de Sá, umqondisi wokucwaningwa kwengculaza eGaffrée e Guinle University Hospital yaseRio de Janeiro, “sisazobhekana nenhlekelele yempilo yomphakathi.”
IUnited States nayo iyasongelwa. “Nakuba bebancane ngokuqhathaniswa abanaleligciwane ababa nobuhlobo bobulili bendoda nowesifazane,” kubika umagazini iTime, ngonyaka odlule [1990] lafinyelela ku-40%, ngokushesha kunanoma yimuphi omunye umkhakha.” Sekudlule isonto ngemva kokwambula ukuthi umgijimi odumile uMagic Johnson wayethole ingculaza ngobuhlobo bobulili bendoda nowesifazane, izinkonzo zezokwelapha zashayelwa izingcingo eziningi ngabantu abathukile befuna ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngalesifo.
EAsia izimo zibonisa ukuza kwenhlekelele okufanayo. Leyongxenye yembulunga iye yabhekana nokwanda kwabantu abanegciwane iHIV kusukela cishe kongekho onayo ngo-1988 kuya kwabangaphezu kwesigidi namuhla! “Amazinga aseAfrika okuthola ingculaza ayobonakala esesilinganisweni esiphakathi ngokuqhathaniswa,” kubikezela uDkt. Jim McDermott, ebika ngemva komsebenzi wokuthola amaqiniso eAsia. Uyenezela: “Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi iAsia iyoba indawo yezisulu eziningi kakhulu zomqedazwe kazwelonke wengculaza.”
Ukuzama ukusola izwekazi elilodwa ngokukhethekile noma isizwe ngomsuka nokusakazeka kwengculaza akunanjongo futhi akusizi lutho. Njengoba uDkt. June Osborn, umfundisi weSchool of Public Health eYunivesithi yaseMichigan, eU.S.A., akubeka ngokuqondile: “Akukhona ukuthi ungubani kodwa ukuthi wenzani.”
Ingabe ingculaza iyoqhubeka isakaza umonakalo wayo kuyo yonke indawo? Ingabe likhona ikhambi, noma ingabe ingculaza iyogcina iqothule abantu ezindaweni ezinkulu zezwekazi laseAfrika kanye nezinye izingxenye zezwe?
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]
WHO photo by H. Anenden; background: NASA photo