Omama Abanengculaza Babhekene Nempicabadala

UCYNTHIA,a owesifazane ohlala eWest Indies, kwakumelwe akhethe phakathi kokuthi usana lwakhe uzoluncelisa ibele yini noma ibhodlela. Kungase kubonakale kulula ukwenza lesi sinqumo. Ingani sekuphele amashumi eminyaka ochwepheshe bezempilo betusa ubisi lwebele “njengokudla okunempilo okufanele” izinsana. Ngaphandle kwalokho, emiphakathini empofu izinsana ezincela ibhodlela zisengozini yokubulawa yisifo sohudo cishe izikhathi ezingu-15 kunalezo ezincela ibele. Empeleni, i-United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ibika ukuthi kufa izinsana ezilinganiselwa ku-4 000 nsuku zonke ngenxa yezingozi ezihlobene nezinto ezithatha indawo yokuncela ibele.

Nokho, endabeni kaCynthia, isinqumo esiphathelene nokuncelisa ibele sasihilela ingozi ehluke ngokuphelele. Umyeni wakhe wayemthelele nge-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), igciwane elibangela ingculaza. Ngemva kokubeletha, uCynthia wathola ukuthi uma umama ene-HIV, ingane yakhe isethubeni elilodwa kwayisikhombisa lokuyithola ngokuncela ibele.b Ngakho, kwakudingeka enze ukukhetha okunzima: achaye umntwana wakhe ezingozini ezitholakala ngokuncela ibele noma abhekane nezingozi zokuncela ibhodlela.

Ezingxenyeni zomhlaba eziye zahlaselwa kanzima umashayabhuqe wengculaza, phakathi kwabesifazane abayishumi abakhulelwe, ababili noma abathathu bane-HIV. Lapho kwenziwa ukuhlola kwelinye izwe, kwatholakala ukuthi abesifazane abakhulelwe abangaphezu kwengxenye kulabo abahlolwa banaleli gciwane. “Lezi zibalo ezethusayo,” kubika i-UN Radio, “ziye zabangela ukuba ososayensi babe magange befuna ikhambi.” Zisabela kulolu songo, izinhlangano eziyisithupha ze-UN zahlanganisa ulwazi lwazo, imizamo, kanye nezimali ukuze zakhe inhlangano ebizwa ngokuthi i-Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, eyaziwa ngelithi UNAIDS.c Kodwa i-UNAIDS iye yabona ukuthi akulula ukuthola ikhambi lale mpicabadala yengculaza.

Izithiyo Eziyinkimbinkimbi Ezivimbela Ikhambi Elilula

Ngokuka-Edith White, isazi sezokuncelisa nokudluliselwa kwe-HIV isuka kumama iya osaneni, emazweni athuthukile izisebenzi zezempilo zeluleka abesifazane abane-HIV ukuba bangazincelisi ibele izingane zabo, njengoba lokhu kuyandisa cishe ngokuphindwe kabili ingozi yokuba izingane zithole leli gciwane. Ukuzipha ubisi olusebhodleleni kubonakala kuwukukhetha okunengqondo. Kodwa emazweni asathuthuka—lapho izinkolelo-mbono zisheshe zehluleke khona uma sezibhekene namaqiniso abuhlungu—kunzima ukusebenzisa leli khambi elilula.

Esinye sezithiyo esokuhlalisana emphakathini. Emazweni lapho ukuncelisa ibele kuyinto evamile khona, abesifazane abancelisa izingane zabo ibhodlela bangase baveze iqiniso lokuthi bane-HIV. Owesifazane angase esabe ukuthi uzogxekwa, alahlwe noma ngisho ashaywe lapho isimo sakhe sesaziwa. Abanye besifazane abakulesi simo banomuzwa wokuthi ayikho into abangayenza ngaphandle kokuba bancelise abantwana babo ibele ukuze kuhlale kuyimfihlo ukuthi bane-HIV.

Zikhona nezinye izithiyo. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela uMargaret oneminyaka engu-20 ubudala. Yena, njengabesifazane base-Uganda abangamaphesenti angu-95 abahlala emaphandleni, akakaze ahlolelwe i-HIV. Kodwa uMargaret unesizathu sokukhathazeka. Ingane yakhe yokuqala yashona, neyesibili ibuthakathaka futhi iyagula. Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi kungenzeka une-HIV, uMargaret uncelisa ingane yakhe yesithathu ibele izikhathi eziyishumi ngosuku. Uthi: “Angisoze ngikwazi ukuncelisa umntanami ibhodlela.” Ngani? UMargaret uthi ubisi lwebhodlela lokondla ingane eyodwa luyizindleko eziphindwe kanye nengxenye kuneholo elitholwa umkhaya endaweni yakubo ngonyaka. Ngisho noma ngabe kuthiwa lolo bisi belutholakala mahhala, bekusayoba nenkinga yokuthola amanzi ahlanzekile okwenza ubisi oluphephile lwezinsana.d

Ezinye zalezi zithiyo zingancishiswa uma omama abane-HIV bengalungiselelwa izindlela ezifanele zokukhuculula indle, isilinganiso esanele sezinto ezithatha indawo yobisi lwebele, namanzi ahlanzekile. Ingabe kumb’ eqolo? Mhlawumbe. Nokho, ngokumangalisayo, ukwenza amalungiselelo anjalo kubonakala kuyindaba yokubeka phambili izinto eziza kuqala kunokuthola izimali. Empeleni, i-UN ibika ukuthi amanye amazwe asathuthuka ampofu kakhulu emhlabeni achitha imali ephindwe cishe kabili kwezempi kunaleyo ayichitha kwezempilo nakwezemfundo.

Kuthiwani Ngemithi Elwa Nengculaza?

Ososayensi be-UN babika ukuthi umuthi olula noshibhile obizwa ngokuthi i-AZT ungakunciphisa ngokuphawulekayo ukudluliselwa kwe-HIV isuka kumama iya osaneni. Ngosizo lwe-UNAIDS, izindleko zalokhu kwelashwa ziye zehliswa zaba amaRandi angu-300. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngo-July 1999 abacwaningi bengculaza bamemezela ukuthi ukwelapha omama abane-HIV kanye nezinsana zabo ngomuthi i-nevirapine obiza amaRandi angu-18 kuphela kubonakala kuphumelela ngaphezu kwe-AZT ekuvimbeleni ukudluliselwa kwe-HIV. Izazi zezempilo zithi i-nevirapine ingavimbela ukuba izinsana ezingu-400 000 ngonyaka zizalwe zine-HIV.

Nokho, abanye bayakugxeka ukwelapha ngemithi enjalo, bethi njengoba ivimbela ukudluliselwa kwe-HIV isuka kumama iya osaneni kuphela, ekugcineni umama uyobulawa yingculaza futhi ashiye ingane iyintandane. I-UN iveza umbono wokuthi ngalé kwalokho, izinsana zingayekwa zithole i-HIV, kanjalo lezi zisulu ezingenacala zibhekane nokufa okudabukisayo nokuthatha isikhathi eside. Futhi ibonisa ukuthi omama abane-HIV bangaphila iminyaka eminingi. Cabanga ngoCynthia, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni. Ngo-1985 ngesikhathi kuzalwa umntwana wakhe, wathola ukuthi wayene-HIV, kodwa waqala ukugula ngemva kweminyaka engu-8. Futhi nakuba umntwana wakhe azalwa ene-HIV, lapho eseneminyaka emibili ubudala yabe isilaphekile.

Isiqinisekiso esiduduzayo seBhayibheli siwukuthi indawo ephephe ngempela kanye nekhambi elihlala njalo lezinhlupho ezinjengengculaza liseduze. (IsAmbulo 21:1-4) UJehova uNkulunkulu uthembisa umhlaba omusha lapho “abakhe khona [bengayikusho] ukuthi: ‘Ngiyagula.’” (Isaya 33:24) OFakazi BakaJehova bangathanda ukuxoxa nawe ngaleli khambi elihlala njalo. Uma ufuna ukwaziswa okwengeziwe, siza uthintane nabanyathelisi balo magazini noma oFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

WHO/E. Hooper