Unyango LukaGawulayo—Lufuneka Ngokungxamisekileyo!
Kwimarike ekuMbindi weLilongwe, eMalawi, uGrace uthengisa izihlangu zodidi. Ukhangeleka onwabile yaye esempilweni. Noko ke, uncumo lwakhe lufihla intlungu akuyo.
Ngowe-1993, uGrace nomyeni wakhe babexhelelw’ eXhukwane ngenxa yokuzalwa kwentombi yabo, uTiyajane. Ekuqaleni, uTiyajane wayebonakala engumqabaqaba. Kodwa, kungentsuku zatywala waya ephela zaza izifo zaquqa zibuyelela kuye. Xa eneminyaka emithathu ubudala, uTiyajane wabulawa nguGawulayo.
Kwiminyaka embalwa kamva, umyeni kaGrace waqalisa ukugula. Ngenye imini wafa isiqaqa waza wasiwa esibhedlele. Kwakungasekho nto inokwenziwa ngoogqirha. Umyeni kaGrace awayesele etshate naye iminyaka esibhozo wabulawa nguGawulayo.
Ngoku uGrace uhlala yedwa kwindlu enegumbi elinye kwihlomela-dolophu laseLilongwe. Ekubeni eneminyaka engama-30, ubani usenokulindela ukuba uGrace aphinde abe nenye intsapho. Noko ke, uthi: “Ndinentsholongwane iHIV ngoko andinakutshata okanye ndibe nomntwana kwakhona.”a
OKUBUHLUNGU kukuba, amava anje axhaphakile eMalawi, apho kuqikelelwa ukuba bali-15 ekhulwini abantu abanentsholongwane iHIV. Ngokutsho kwephephandaba iGlobe and Mail, esinye isibhedlele sasemaphandleni sinabantu abadlule ngama-50 ekhulwini kumthamo wenani elifanelekileyo labantu abanokulaliswa kuso, yaye siphulukene nabasebenzi baso abangaphezu kwama-50 ekhulwini” bebulawa nguGawulayo. Ukwasulelwa kwabantu yiHIV kugqugqise nangakumbi kwamanye amazwe eAfrika ekumazantsi eSahara. Ngowama-2002 iJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) yakhupha ingxelo ethi: “Ngokomlinganiselo, mntu ngamnye kwiAfrika esemazantsi eSahara kulindeleke ukuba aphile iminyaka engama-47 ubudala. Ukuba ebengekho uGawulayo, bekuya kulindeleka ukuba aphile iminyaka engama-62 ubudala.”
Noko ke, intsholongwane iHIV noGawulayo zigqugqisa nangaphaya kwemida yelizwekazi laseAfrika. IUNAIDS iqikelela ukuba bamalunga nezigidi ezine abantu abaneHIV eIndiya, yaye ithi: “Xa sicinga ngoxanduva lwesi sifo, iHIV iza kuba ngoyena nobangela uphambili wokufa kwabantu abadala kweli shumi leminyaka.” Esi sifo sanda ngokukhawuleza kumazwe eCommonwealth of Independent States, intlanganisela ebunjwa yinkoliso yamazwe awayesakuba phantsi kweSoviet Union. Enye ingxelo yaseUzbekistan ithi “ngowama-2002 kuphela kwanikelwa ingxelo zabantu abangakumbi abaneHIV xa zithelekiswa nezo zeminyaka elishumi edluleyo.” Ukwasulelwa kwabantu yiHIV eUnited States kungxamele ukuba ngoyena nobangela wokufa kwabantu baseMerika abaphakathi kweminyaka engama-25 nengama-44.
UVukani! waqala ukupapasha ungcelele lwamanqaku athetha ngoGawulayo ngowe-1986. Ngaloo nyaka, uGqr. H. Mahler owayengumalathisi weWorld Health Organization, walumkisa ngelithi kunokwenzeka ukuba bamalunga neshumi lezigidi abantu abasele basulelwe yiHIV. Phantse kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini kamva, kuqikelelwa ukuba inani labantu abaneHIV ehlabathini lonke lande laya kutsho kuma-42 ezigidi, lisanda ngaphezu kwezihlandlo ezilishumi ukodlula umlinganiselo wokwanda kwabemi bomhlaba! Iingcali zithi ikamva likhangeleka limfiliba. IUNAIDS ithi: “Kumazwe angama-45 angawona ahlaselwe kakhulu sesi sifo, kucingelwa ukuba phakathi kowama-2000 nowama-2020, abantu abangama-68 ezigidi baza kufa beselula ngenxa kaGawulayo.”
Ngenxa yokwasulelwa okungaka kwabantu yile ntsholongwane, unyango lukaGawulayo lufuneka ngokungxamisekileyo kunanini na ngaphambili. Ngenxa yoku, abaphandi bezonyango abalali befuna indlela yokulwa neHIV. Ingakanani inkqubela esele yenziwe ukulwa nalo bhubhani? Ngaba kusengqiqweni ukuba nethemba lokuba uya kuze aphele uGawulayo?
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Kukholelwa ukuba iHIV, okanye ihuman immunodeficiency virus, yintsholongwane ebangela uGawulayo.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]
Ehlabathini lonke, kuqikelelwa ukuba bangama-42 ezigidi abantu abanentsholongwane iHIV noGawulayo; izigidi ezi-2,5 ngabantwana
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
EINDIYA—Amatsha-ntliziyo ezempilo afundiswa ngoGawulayo
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© Peter Barker/Panos Pictures
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
EBRAZIL—Unontlalontle uthuthuzela ibhinqa elinoGawulayo
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© Sean Sprague/Panos Pictures
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
ETHAILAND—Itsha-ntliziyo linyamekela umntwana ozelwe eneHIV
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© Ian Teh/Panos Pictures