Umfelandawonye Obulalayo

EMUVA ngo-1959, izisebenzi zezempilo e-United States zabikezela ukuthi ngokushesha isifo sofuba (TB) sasizoqedwa. Ngempela, eminyakeni eyalandela lesi sifo sancipha kakhulu kangangokuba abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi sasinqandekile. Kodwa i-TB isibuyile, futhi kulokhu isihambisana nesihlobo sayo esibulalayo—i-HIV, igciwane elenza buthaka isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela ezifweni futhi ngokuvamile eliholela esifweni sengculaza.

Nakuba abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili—cishe abayingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zenani labantu emhlabeni—benegciwane le-TB, lapho libangena okokuqala laba bantu baba sengozini yokuphathwa yilesi sifo engamaphesenti ayishumi ekuphileni kwabo konke. Ngokuthakazelisayo, abantu abane-HIV banamathuba angamaphesenti angu-8 okungenwa yi-TB unyaka ngamunye. Ngakho-ke, njengoba abantu abaningi bengenwa i-HIV, abaningi basengozini yokungenwa i-TB.

UDkt. Richard J. O’Brien we-WHO (World Health Organization) uphawula ukuthi eminyakeni yamuva nje kuye kwaba nokwanda okungamaphesenti acishe abe ngu-15 abantu abane-TB e-United States. Uthi lokhu “kungenxa yokuhlobana kwe-HIV ne-TB.” Nokho, ingozi inkulu kakhulu emazweni asathuthuka. Abantu abangamaphesenti angu-90 kwabayizigidi ezingu-8 abangenwa yilesi sifo unyaka ngamunye batholakala emazweni ampofu kakhulu, futhi cishe izigidi ezintathu zalezi ziguli ziyafa.

Emhlabeni wonke, abantu abayizigidi ezingu-4,4 bashikashikana nalezi zifo ezimbili ezibulalayo. I-WHO ibikezela ukuthi esikhathini esiseduze esizayo, i-TB izobulala abantu abayisigidi kulabo abane-HIV unyaka ngamunye. UPeter Piot, umqondisi ophethe we-Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, wathi: “Lezi zifo ezimbili eziwumshayabhuqe seziwusongo olungathi sína empilweni yomphakathi kuleli shumi leminyaka.”

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

New Jersey Medical School —National Tuberculosis Center