Amagciwane Anenkani—Awusongo Olungakanani?
Amagciwane aphunyukayo lapho ehlaselwa ngemithi elwa nawo nakweminye imithi asewusongo lwembulunga yonke. Kwenzeké kanjani lokhu? Yini ongayenza ukuze uzivikele wena nomkhaya wakho?
NGO-OCTOBER 1997, uHollie Mullin, usana olunamasonto amathathu nje luzelwe, wangenwa isifo sezindlebe. Lapho zingabi ngcono ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa, udokotela wakhe wamnika umuthi wamuva olwa namagciwane (antibiotic). Kwakulindeleke ukuba umelaphe masinyane, kodwa akubanga njalo. Lesi sifo sabuya futhi sasilokhu sibuya njalo lapho eqeda isikhathi ayesinqunyelwe ukuba ayisebenzise ngaso le mithi.
Ngonyaka wakhe wokuqala, uHollie wanikezwa izinhlobo ezingu-17 zemithi elwa namagciwane. Kwathi lapho enezinyanga ezingu-21 ubudala, lesi sifo sagunya nakakhulu. Isifo saze sadamba ngemva kokuba empontshelwe umuthi olwa namagciwane izinsuku ezingu-14 okuwumuthi osetshenziswa lapho yonke eminye isihlulekile.
Izimo ezinjengalezi sezivame kakhulu hhayi nje phakathi kwezinsana nabantu asebekhulile kuphela. Abantu babo bonke ubudala bayagula futhi baze bafe ngisho nokufa bebulawa yizifo ezazelashwa kalula ngemithi elwa namagciwane.
Empeleni, amagciwane aphunyukayo nalapho esehlaselwa ngethala lemithi elwa nawo abelokhu eyinkinga enkulu kwezinye izibhedlela kusukela ngawo-1950. Khona-ke phakathi nawo-1960 nangawo-1970, amagciwane amelana nemithi asakazekela ngaphandle kwezibhedlela.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abacwaningi bezokwelapha baqala ukusola ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kwemithi elwa namagciwane kubantu nasezilwaneni njengembangela eyinhloko yokwanda kwamagciwane amelana nemithi yokuwabulala. Ngo-1978 esinye salezi zisebenzi zezokwelapha sachaza ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kwemithi elwa namagciwane ‘njengokungasalawuleki ngokuphelele.’ Ngakho ngawo-1990, kwavela izihloko eziphambili zamaphephandaba ezinjengalezi ezilandelayo emhlabeni wonke: “Amagciwane Anenkani Asethelekile,” “Amagciwane Anenkani Asebhilitile,” “Imithi Eyingozi—Ukusetshenziswa Kakhulu Kwemithi Elwa Namagciwane Kuzala Amagciwane Anenkani.”
Ingabe zazimane zihloselwe ukuvusa ilukuluku? Akunjalo ngokwezinhlangano zezokwelapha ezihlonishwayo. Embikweni omayelana nezifo ezithathelwanayo ngo-2000, umqondisi-jikelele we-World Health Organization (WHO) wathi: “Zisuka nje kule nkulungwane entsha yeminyaka, isintu sibhekene nenye inkinga. Izifo ezazelapheka ngaphambili . . . manje sezizivikele ngodonga olungabhodlozeki oluwukudlondlobala kokumelana nemithi elwa namagciwane.”
Ibucayi kangakanani le nkinga? “Lesi simo esiphazamisayo [samagciwane amelana nemithi yokuwabulala] sivala amathuba okwelapha izifo ezithathelwanayo,” kubika i-WHO. Idlanzana lezazi namuhla lize lithi isintu sibuyela “enkathini yangaphambi kwemithi elwa namagciwane,” okuyinkathi eyayingenamithi yamagciwane yokwelapha izifo ezithathelwanayo.
Amagciwane amelana nemithi yokuwabulala afike kanjani kuleli lakwamhlaba, futhi akwaze kanjani ukuhlakaniphela intuthuko yesayensi eyinkimbinkimbi? Kukhona yini umuntu angakwenza ukuze azivikele yena noma avikele abanye? Yimaphi amakhambi azanywayo okulwa namagciwane amelana nemithi yokuwabulala? Izihloko ezilandelayo zinikeza izimpendulo ezithile.