Isifo Sofuba Siyagadla Futhi!

KUSUKELA ngawo-1950, inani labaphethwe isifo sofuba (TB) e-United States lehla ngezinga lamaphesenti amahlanu ngonyaka. Nokho, kusukela ngo-1985 kuye kwaba nokwanda okungamaphesenti angu-18 kwalabo okubikwa ukuthi bane-TB. Okuphazamisa nakakhulu wukuba khona kohlobo olusha lwalesi sifo olungalapheki noma welashwa ngezidakamizwa. Manje i-TB ibulala abantu abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezintathu unyaka ngamunye. Kungani impi yokulwa ne-TB ingasaphumeleli?

Esinye isizathu siwukuba iziguli eziningi zimane zihluleke ukuqhubeka ziphuza imithi yazo kuze kuphele isikhathi esidingekayo—ngokuvamile izinyanga eziyisithupha kuya kwezingu-9. Ngokwesibonelo, eNew York City okunye ukuhlola kwaveza ukuthi amaphesenti angu-89 eqembu leziguli ezingaba ngu-200 ezine-TB eziwohlozayo awazange ayiqede imithi yawo. “Kuyahlasimulisa,” kusho uDkt. Lee Reichman, umongameli we-American Lung Association, “ngoba labo bantu (a) ngeke belapheke, futhi (b) kungenzeka babe ne-TB emelana nezidakamizwa ezivame ukusetshenziswa.” Kodwa laba bantu abanalesi sifo bangenza ukuba kuthinteke okungaphezu kwempilo yabo siqu. “Ngokungayiphuzi imithi yabo,” kunezela uDkt. Reichman, “bangathelela abanye abantu.” Ngokungangabazeki lokhu yikhona okwenezela ekubeni kube nabantu abasha abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-8 abanalesi sifo emhlabeni wonke unyaka ngamunye.

Abafundi beBhayibheli bayaqaphela ukuthi ‘izifo eziwumshayabhuqe ezindaweni ngezindawo’ ziyingxenye yesibonakaliso sokuthi siphila “ezinsukwini zokugcina” zalesi simiso sezinto. (Luka 21:11; 2 Thimothewu 3:1) Yini ezolandela? Umhlaba omusha, lapho ‘abakhé khona bengayikusho ukuthi: Ngiyagula.’ (Isaya 33:24) Yebo, uJehova uNkulunkulu akathembisi ukukhululeka kwesikhashana, kodwa ukukhululeka okuhlala njalo ekuguleni nokufa.—IsAmbulo 21:1-4.