Ɔkwaha—Yare a Ebubu Nnipa
“WUNTUMI NHU SƐNEA ƐYAW NO TE GYE SƐ EBI AYƐ WO ANSA. MISUSUW SƐ ƆKWAN KORO PƐ A WUBETUMI AFA SO ANYA AHOTƆ NE SƐ WUBEWU.”—SETSUKO, JAPAN.
“ESIANE SƐ ƐYƐƐ ME BERE A NA MADI MFIRIHYIA 16 NTI, METE NKA SƐ YARE YI AMA MAHWERE ME MMERANTEBERE.”—DARREN, GREAT BRITAIN.
“MAHWERE ME NKWA NNA MU MFIRIHYIA ABIEN ESIANE MPA MU A MEKAE NTI.”—KATIA, ITALY.
“SƐ ME MPƆW SO NYINAA FI ASE YƐ ME YAW PƐ A, NA M’ASETRA NYINAA AYƐ ƐYAW NKUTOO.”—JOYCE, SOUTH AFRICA.
EYINOM yɛ awerɛhosɛm a wɔn a ɔyare a wɔfrɛ no ɔkwaha ayɛ wɔn akeka. Afe biara ɔkwaha ma nnipa ɔpepem pii kohu wɔn nnuruyɛfo kɔhwehwɛ ahotɔ fi ɛyaw, mmubui, ne dɛm a ebetumi adi wɔn no ho.
Wɔ United States nkutoo no, ɔkwaha yɛ nnipa bɛboro ɔpepem 42, na ebubu wɔn mu 6 biara mu 1. Nokwarem no, ɔkwaha ne yare a ebubu nkurɔfo wɔ saa man no mu sen biara. Ɔman Asoɛe Ahorow a Ɛhwɛ Siw Nyarewa Ano ka sɛ, ɛka a saa yare yi ma wɔbɔ “reyɛ de sika fam ahokyere aba,” efisɛ ɛma Amerikafo sɛe sika bɛboro dɔla ɔpepepem 64 afe biara wɔ ayaresabea ho ka ne adwumayɛfo a wontumi nkɔ adwuma no ho. Sɛnea Wiase Nyinaa Akwahosan Ahyehyɛde no kyerɛ no, nhwehwɛmu a wɔyɛe wɔ aman a wonnyaa nkɔso pii te sɛ Brazil, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, ne Thailand mu no daa no adi sɛ, ɔkwaha ne ahotutuw foforo a ɛwɔ nsase a ɛte saa so no reyɛ ne “aman a anya mfiridwuma mu nkɔanim mu de ayɛ pɛ.”
Ɛnyɛ nokware koraa sɛ ɔkwaha yɛ nkwakoraa ne mmerewa nkutoo yare. Ɛwom sɛ bere a nnipa renyin no na emu reyɛ den kɛse de. Nanso, emu biako a ɛtaa yɛ nkurɔfo, ɔkwaha a ɛhonhon apɔw so taa yɛ nnipa a wɔadi fi mfirihyia 25 kosi 50. Wɔ United States no, ɛkame ayɛ sɛ nnipa 5 biara a wɔyare ɔkwaha mu 3 nnii mfirihyia 65. Saa ara na wɔ Great Britain no, nnipa ɔpepem 8 a ebi ayɛ wɔn no mu ɔpepem 1.2 nnii mfirihyia 45. Wɔn mu bɛboro 14,500 yɛ mmofra.
Afe biara, nnipa a ɔkwaha yɛ wɔn dodow kɔ anim ntɛmntɛm. Wɔ Canada no, nnipa a wɔyare ɔkwaha foforo ɔpepem biako na ɛbɛba abɛka ho wɔ mfirihyia du a ɛreba no mu. Bere a nnipa a ɔkwaha ayɛ wɔn wɔ Europa no dɔɔso sen wɔn a wɔwɔ Afrika ne Asia no, yare yi reyɛ nnipa pii wɔ nsasepɔn a edi akyiri yi so nso. Ɔkwaha a ɛreyɛ nnipa pii no ama Wiase Nyinaa Akwahosan Ahyehyɛde no aka sɛ afe 2000-2010 yɛ Dompe ne Apɔw So Mfirihyia Du. Saa bere yi mu no, nnuruyɛfo ne ayaresafo a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa bɛyɛ biako abɔ mmɔden sɛ wɔbɛma wɔn a wɔyare ntini ne dompe mu yare te sɛ ɔkwaha no anya ahotɔ wɔ asetra mu.
Dɛn na wonim fa saa yare a ɛyɛ yaw yi ho? Henanom na ebetumi ayɛ wɔn? Ɔkwan bɛn so na wɔn a wɔyare ɔkwaha no betumi agyina ne haw no ano? So wobetumi anya ano aduru daakye? Yɛn nsɛm a edi hɔ no besusuw nsɛmpɔw yi ho.
[Mfonini Fibea wɔ kratafa 3]
X ray: Used by kind permission of the Arthritis Research Campaign, United Kingdom (www.arc.org.uk)