Ikhambi Lengculaza—Lidingeka Ngokuphuthumayo!

UGrace udayisa izicathulo zikanokusho eMakethe Enkulu yaseLilongwe, eMalawi. Ubonakala ejabule futhi ewumqemane. Nokho, ukumamatheka kwakhe ngenjabulo kufihle usizi olukhulu.

Ngo-1993, uGrace nomyeni wakhe bajabula bafa lapho kuzalwa indodakazi yabo, uTiyanjane. Ekuqaleni, uTiyanjane wayebonakala ephilile. Nokho, kungakabiphi wayeka ukukhula futhi wangenwa kalula yizifo ezihlukahlukene. Lapho eneminyaka emithathu, uTiyanjane wabulawa yingculaza.

Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, umyeni kaGrace naye waqala ukugula. Ngolunye usuku wawa waquleka, waphuthunyiswa esibhedlela. Odokotela behluleka ukumsiza. Umyeni kaGrace ayeseshade naye iminyaka engu-8 wabulawa yizinkinga ezihlobene nengculaza.

Manje uGrace uhlala yedwa endlini enegumbi elilodwa emaphethelweni edolobha iLilongwe. Njengoba uGrace eneminyaka engu-30 ubudala, umuntu ubengalindela ukuba aqale ukuvuselela ukuphila kwakhe. Nokho, uyachaza: “Nginesandulela-ngculaza ngakho ngeke ngishade noma ngiphinde ngibe nabantwana.”a

NGOKUDABUKISAYO, imibiko enjena ivamile eMalawi, lapho kulinganiselwa khona ukuthi amaphesenti angu-15 ezakhamuzi anegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza. Iphephandaba i-Globe and Mail lithi esibhedlela esithile sasemaphandleni, “inani labantu abalaliswe khona lidlula elemibhede ekhona ngesigamu, futhi ingxenye yezisebenzi zezokwelapha kulesi sibhedlela ayibi khona emsebenzini ngenxa yayo belu” ingculaza. Ukwanda kwegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza kuphakeme ngisho nakakhulu kwamanye amazwe aseningizimu yeSahara e-Afrika. Ngo-2002 i-Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) yabika: “Isilinganiso sesikhathi okulindeleke ukuba abantu baseningizimu yeSahara e-Afrika basiphile njengamanje siyiminyaka engu-47. Ukube ingculaza ibingekho, besiyoba iminyaka engu-62.”

Nokho, uhlupho lwe-HIV/AIDS luwumqedazwe, ludlulela ngalé kwemingcele yezwekazi lase-Afrika. I-UNAIDS ilinganisela ukuthi abantu abadala abangaba yizigidi ezine eNdiya banesandulela-ngculaza, inezela: “Uma kubhekwa amanani amanje alesi sifo, leli gciwane liyogcina liyimbangela enkulu yokufa kwabantu abadala kuleli shumi leminyaka.” Lo mqedazwe wanda ngokushesha emazweni akha uMfelandawonye WamaZwe Azimele, okuwumkhandlu owakhiwa iningi lamariphabhuliki ezwe elaliyiSoviet Union. Umbiko othile uthi e-Uzbekistan, “kwabikwa inani elikhulu labanesandulela-ngculaza ngo-2002 kuphela kunaphakathi nayo yonke iminyaka eyishumi eyandulelayo.” Ukusakazeka kwaleli gciwane e-United States kuseyimbangela eyinhloko yokufa kwabantu baseMelika abaneminyaka ephakathi kwengu-25 nengu-44.

I-Phaphama! yaqala ukunyathelisa uchungechunge lwezihloko ezikhuluma ngengculaza ngo-1986. Ngalowo nyaka, uDkt. H. Mahler, owayengumqondisi we-World Health Organization ngaleso sikhathi, waxwayisa ngokuthi kungenzeka kunabantu abangaba izigidi eziyishumi asebenegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza kakade. Cishe emashumini amabili eminyaka kamuva, inani labantu abanaleli gciwane emhlabeni wonke selifinyelele kubantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezingu-42, landa ngezinga eliphindwe izikhathi ezingaphezu kweshumi kunezinga lokwanda kwabantu! Ochwepheshe bathi ikusasa lifiphele. I-UNAIDS iyabika: “Emazweni angu-45 athinteke kakhulu, kulinganiselwa ukuthi phakathi kuka-2000 no-2020, abantu abayizigidi ezingu-68 bayofa ngaphambi kwesikhathi ngenxa yengculaza.”

Njengoba ingculaza isakazeka ngokushesha okushaqisa kangaka, ikhambi layo lidingeka ngokuphuthumayo kunanini ngaphambili. Ngakho, abacwaningi bezokwelapha baye bazikhandla belwa negciwane lesandulela-ngculaza. Iyiphi intuthuko eye yafinyelelwa ekulweni nalolu hlupho olubulalayo? Ingabe kunengqondo ukulindela ukuba ingculaza iphele?

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[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

Emhlabeni wonke, balinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-42 abantu abane-HIV/AIDS; abayizigidi ezingu-2,5 yizingane

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

ENDIYA Izisebenzi zokuzithandela zezempilo zifundiswa ngengculaza

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© Peter Barker/Panos Pictures

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

EBRAZIL Isisebenzi sezenhlalakahle siduduza owesifazane onengculaza

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© Sean Sprague/Panos Pictures

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

ETHAILAND Isisebenzi sokuzithandela sina-kekela umntwana ozalwe enesandulela-ngculaza

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© Ian Teh/Panos Pictures