Umbulali Ongasenakuphunyuka
UFARO Ramses V waseGibithe wafa eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezintathu edlule. Akekho owayazi ngokuqinisekile imbangela yokufa kwakhe, kodwa kuze kube namuhla, isidumbu sakhe esomisiwe sibonisa izimpawu ezisobala zombulali ongavamile. Lombulali ofanayo ononya washiya futhi uphawu olulalisa uyaca eNdiya yasendulo, eChina, eGrisi, futhi cishe ngokusobala kuwo wonke amazwe.
Lona kwakungumbulali onamandla kakhulu kangangoba uye washintsha inkathi yomlando. Ngokomunye umthombo, esiGodini esiphansi saseIndus, waze ngisho wagadla impi enamandla ka-Alexander Omkhulu ngegalelo elinzima. Ehambisana nomcwaningi uCortés ukuya eMexico, wabulala ingxenye enkulu yezakhamuzi zendawo kwaze kwaba sezingeni lapho acishe waqinisekisa umnqobi walendawo ngokunqoba okulula. EYurophu yekhulu le-18 leminyaka, eminyakeni ethile kwafa abangango-600 000 ekuxhakathiseni kwalombulali. Bonke babeyizisulu zesitha ababengenakusibona—igciwane elincane, elimise okwesitini, igciwane lengxibongo.
Ngisho nasezikhathini zanamuhla, ukukhuluma ngengxibongo kuye kwaletha ukwesaba ezinhliziyweni zabaningi. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1947, ngenxa yokuthi kwabikwa iziguli ezingu-12 eDolobheni laseNew York, ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-6 zezakhamuzi zalo zagonywa. Futhi kuye kwalinganiselwa ukuthi muva nje ngawo-1967, ingxibongo yathatha ukuphila kwabayizigidi ezimbili. Kungani lesifo sesabeka kangaka? Ingabe sisewusongo nanamuhla?
Umbulali Okumelwe Esatshwe
Kwabaningi bethu, lesisifo sisazi kuphela ngokubona izimpawu zaso esihambini, esibuso baso obuxhofozekile bukhuluma indaba yokusinda ekuvakashelweni umbulali. Nokho, abaningi abazange basinde. Kwezinye izindawo abaningi abalinganiselwa koyedwa kubantu ababili abangenwa yilesifo bafa.
Nokho, kwabaningi, izimpawu ezimbi zazethusa njengenani eliphakeme labafayo. Ngokuvamile, phakathi namasonto amabili okungenwa komuntu yileligciwane, laliyobe selande ngokwanele ukuba liqalise ukubangela izinkinga zangempela. Kwakuyoqala izimfiva, amakhanda, nemikhuhlane okubi kakhulu, ngokushesha kulandelwe imiqhakanyeko nezinhlungu ezihlabayo emfunkulwini. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, kwakuyobonakala amabala amancane angathi abomvu, okokuqala ebusweni, bese kuba sezingalweni, esifubeni, emhlane, futhi ekugcineni ezinyaweni. Lawa ayokhula ngokushesha ukuze abe amaqhubu noma amathumba agcwele ubomvu, enza ukuba ogulayo abukeke ngendlela ethusayo. Okwakungathi sína ngisho nangokwengeziwe kwakuba ukuhlaselwa kwezitho zomzimba ezibalulekile. Uma isimiso sokuzivikela somzimba sasingakwazi ukuhlanganisa ngokwanele izici zokuzivikela, esisodwa noma ezengeziwe zalezitho sasiyowohloka, kuholele ekufeni kwesiguli.
Nakuba ingabhekwa njengesifo esithathelwanayo kakhulu, ukukwazi kwengxibongo ukuphila isikhathi esiphawulekayo ngaphandle komzimba womuntu kwakusho ukuthi sasingasakazeka kalula kulabo ababesondelene eduze nesiguli noma kwabanye ababelungisa imibhede noma izingubo ezazinegciwane layo. Lelogciwane elibulalayo, elaliphuma emaqhubwini ayeqhumbuzekile esisulu salo sokugcina, lalingahamba ezilongotsheni zothuli noma emaconsaneni amanzi futhi lalingangena kalula emphinjeni noma emgudwini wokuphefumula wesinye isisulu futhi liwuqalise phansi umjikelezo walo obulalayo.
Kwakungekho khemikhali noma isidakamizwa okwakwaziwa—futhi namanje akukho—okwakungase kuvimbele ukusakazeka kwengxibongo. Odokotela nabahlengikazi babemane bazame ukwenza ukuba isiguli singabuzwa ubuhlungu ngangokunokwenzeka futhi basinikeze imithi ukuze banciphise ingozi yokusakaza lesisifo. Okuwukuphela kwethemba lokwelapha lalivela esimisweni sokuzivikela esiklanywe ngokumangalisayo esiphakathi komzimba womuntu ngokwawo. Futhi yilapho lapho kwenziwa khona okunye ukusungula okukhulu kakhulu kwezokwelapha kwanamuhla, ngaleyondlela kunikeza isikhali sokunqanda lombulali ononya.
Isikhali Sokuceka Umbulali
“Izizwe zesikhathi esizayo ziyokwazi ngomlando kuphela ukuthi kuke kwaba khona ingxibongo yamathumba,” kubhala uThomas Jefferson, umongameli wangalesosikhathi waseUnited States, ngo-1806. Wayebhala ukuze abongele uEdward Jenner, owayengudokotela nesazi semithi sasezweni laseBrithani, ekusunguleni kwakhe indlela yokuqeda ngokuphelele ingxibongo. Ukwelapha kukaJenner, kamuva okwabizwa ngokuthi ukugoma, ngokuyisisekelo kuyinqubo efanayo abahambi bamazwe kulelikhulu leminyaka abaye bajwayelana nakho.
Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kokucwaninga kukaJenner, uhlobo olucishe lufane lokwelapha ingxibongo lwase lusetshenziswa kakade. Ngokwesibonelo, eBengal, eNdiya, kwakuwumkhuba wabapristi basendulo bakaShitala Mata (unkulunkulukazi wengxibongo) ukuqoqa izicubu ezazinalesifo ezigulini zengxibongo ezingaphathekile kangako futhi ngendlela elawulekayo bazifake kubantu abangaguli. Uhlobo olungelubi kakhulu lwalesifo ngokuvamile lwaluba umphumela walendlela yakudala yokwakha amasotsha omzimba. Kodwa lapho nje isimiso sokuzivikela salowomuntu sinqoba lesifo, wayesala egomeke ngokuphelele kokunye ukuhlasela.
Naphezu kwezingozi zalo ezihilelekile, loluhlobo lokwelapha lwasungulwa eYurophu esikhathini esingaphambi kwenkathi kaJenner. Ngo-1757, njengomfana omncane owayeneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ubudala, uJenner ngokwakhe wayeziqaphela ngokusobala lezingozi lapho abaqaphi bakhe, bekhathalela ukumvikela kulolohlupho olwaluvamile ngalesosikhathi, bemngenisa kwesinye ‘sezitebele zokugomela’ ezazivamile ngalolosuku. Eboshwe ngentambo ukuze anganyakazi, walaliswa embhedeni ombozwe ngotshani, njengoba kwakwenziwa nakwabanye ababelapho. Lapho wezwa imiphumela ecindezelayo yengxibongo ebangelwa ukugonywa, ngaphansi kohlobo lokunakekelwa oluyisidala kakhulu.
Nakuba uJenner asinda, akazange elulame ngokuphelele iminyaka eminingi. Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho ngesilinganiso esithile kuchaza intshiseko yakhe kamuva ekuphileni yokuthola isimiso esingcono sokugoma. Ithuba lokwenza lokhu laziveza lapho eqala ukusebenza njengodokotela eSodbury esemaphandleni, eNgilandi. Wahlatshwa umxhwele iqiniso lesisho esidala sasendaweni sokuthi abesifazane abasebenza endaweni yobisi ababengenwa isifo okuthiwa icowpox babengasoze bangenwa ingxibongo. Ngo-1796, ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yokuxilonga iziguli, wavivinya ayekutholile ngokujova ngamabomu insizwa, uJames Phipps, ngegciwane lecowpox elingelibi kangako. Inkolelo yakhe kwakungukuthi uJames wayezosinda ngokuzwa ubuhlungu obuncane futhi bese egomeka engxibongweni ebulalayo.
Akubona bonke ababenethemba elinjengelikaJenner. Izakhamuzi zedolobha lendawo zaphikisa ngokuthi wayezoqalisa inhlupho entsha eyesabekayo noma ukuthi izingane ayezelapha zaziyoqala ukuba nezimpawu zenkomo. UJenner wakwazi ukuphumelela, futhi lapho uJames elulama ngaphandle kwezinkinga, futhi okuhle nangaphezulu egomeke ngokuphelele engxibongweni, ukuphikiswa abantu bendawo kwaphela. Ukucwaninga kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaba u-1798, lapho uJenner eshicilela izwe lokho ayekutholile. Inkolelo yakhe yayilwelwe. Ekugcineni ithuluzi lokuceka lombulali lalitholakala.
Ukuvala Izintuba Zokubulala
Okwalandela umsebenzi kaJenner wokucaba indlela, ezinye izazi zesayensi zaqhubeka nokwenza ukucwaninga. Kwaqaliswa izinqubo ezingcono zokukhiqiza nokugoma, kulolwa ukuphumelela kwalelithuluzi elisha lokubhekana nokubulala. Nokho, naphezu kwentuthuko, igciwane lengxibongo laqhubeka nokuthatha izisulu zalo. Ngisho nango-1966, kwakusabikwa iziguli eziphethwe ingxibongo emazweni angu-44, futhi imiqedazwe eyethusayo yayivamile emazweni asathuthuka.
Kwakukamuva ngalowonyaka ofanayo, eMhlanganweni Wezwe Wempilo ongowe-19, lapho ekugcineni izizwe zinquma ukuhlanganyela esenzweni esibumbene sokuthola nokuceka lombulali. Impumelelo yaxhomeka eqinisweni lokuthi igciwane lengxibongo laliyokufa uma nje lingaphandle komzimba womuntu. Ngamanye amazwi, abantu kwakungukuphela kwabathwali balo. Uma lalivinjelwa ekubeni lidlule lisuka komunye umuntu liye komunye, leligciwane laliyokufa. Ngakho, kwaqaliswa isu lokususwa ngokuphelele kwengxibongo elalizothatha iminyaka eyishumi. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa ukuhlola okwakuzobheka noma yikuphi ukuqubuka kwayo, kuhlanganise nokunxusa umphakathi ukuba ubike noma iziphi iziguli eziphethwe yiyo, kanye nokugoma okukhulu kokugcina leliqhawe lingaphunyuki, lingakwazi ukusakazeka.
Imiphumela ekhuthazayo yafinyelelwa cishe ngokushesha ngisho nasemazweni anezikhungo zenkonzo yezempilo ezilinganiselwe. Ngokwesibonelo, eAfrika eseNtsonalanga nePhakathi, lapho kwenziwa ukuba kutholakale izinto zokusebenza, abeluleki, nemijovo yokugoma, izizwe ezingu-20 zakwazi ukuqothula lesifo eminyakeni emithathu nengxenye kuphela. Ishukunyiswa intuthuko eyenziwe eAfrika, iAsia yaqinisa imizamo yayo yokusiqothula. Ngo-October 16, 1975, isiguli sokugcina esathola lesifo ngokwemvelo sasiseBangladesh.
Nokho, lokhu kwakungekhona okokugcina, ngoba ngo-1976 olunye lwezinhlobo ezimbili ezingezimbi kangako zaleligciwane lwalusabikwa eSomalia. Kwalandela umzabalazo wezinyanga ezingu-13; izikhulu zezempilo zalwisana futhi zaluvimbela lolubhadane kwaze kwathi ekugcineni, ngo-October 1977, balunqoba ngokuphelele. Isisulu salo sokugcina sasingowomdabu obizwa ngokuthi uAli Maow Maalin. Lapho uAli elulama, isenzakalo sokugcina sengxibongo eyenzeka ngokwemvelo sase sidlule. Ekugcineni, cishe eminyakeni engu-200 kamuva, iphupho likaJenner lafezeka. “Ukuqothulwa kwengxibongo—ubhadane olwesabeka kakhulu lohlanga lwesintu”—kwakufeziwe.
Ingabe Ingagadla Futhi?
Ngo-1980, kwamenyezelwa ngokomthetho ukuthi izwe lalikhululekile engxibongweni. Ukugonywa okwakuyimpoqo kwase kuyekiwe, futhi isizukulwane esisha sikhula ngaphandle kwesidingo sokuzivikela kuleligciwane. Nokho, kwakuzokwenzekani uma lombulali ebengabuyela emphakathini onjalo ongagonyiwe? Ukwesaba kokuthi ingase ibulale ingxenye enkulu yawo wonke amazwekazi kusishukumisela ukuba sibuze ukuthi ukubuya okunjalo kungenzeka yini.
Isazi samagciwane saseSikoleni saseCalcutta Semithi Yasezindaweni Ezishisayo sachaza: “Kubili okungenzeka. Okukodwa kungaphunyuka ezindaweni zokwenza ukuhlola (laboratory); okunye kuyinzondo yomuntu.”
Ubuqiniso bolokuqala lwalezinsongo lwaboniswa ngo-1978, lapho iqubuke okwesikhashana, ingxibongo yaphinde yaphuma ezihlokweni eziphambili zamaphephandaba, manje eBirmingham, eNgilandi. Umthwebuli wezithombe, esebenza esitezi esingaphezu kwendlu yokwenza ukuhlola lapho kwakugcinwe khona igciwane ngenjongo yokucwaninga, wangenwa yilesifo futhi kamuva wafa ngenxa yaso, kodwa ngemva kokuba esethelele unina osegugile. Ngenhlanhla, izikhulu zaseBrithani zathatha isinyathelo esiphuthumayo futhi sokunqanda leligciwane futhi zavikela izinkubela ezengeziwe. Ukuze kuncishiswe ukuba nokwenzeka kwezenzakalo ezifana nalezo, ingxibongo manje isiye yavalelwa ezikhungweni zokucwaninga ezimbili kuphela ezilondeke kakhulu, esinye siseAtlanta, eGeorgia, eU.S.A., futhi esinye eMoscow, eU.S.S.R.
‘Kodwa,’ ungase ubuze, ‘kungani lombulali engabhujiswa ngokuphelele ukuze kuvikelwe izingozi ezinjalo?’ Ukwesaba inzondo yomuntu kuyimpendulo. Njengoba kungase kubonakale kucashile, ngaso sonke isikhathi kunokuba nokwenzeka kokuthi ingxibongo isetshenziselwe impi engokwesayensi yemvelo. Umlando uye wabonisa ukuthi umuntu angakwazi ukwenza into enjalo. Ukuze zisekele amasu azo okuhlala eNyakatho Melika phakathi nekhulu le-17 leminyaka, izakhamuzi ezithile zasisakaza ngamabomu lesifo phakathi kwezakhamuzi zendawo zamaNdiya. Ngokuthembisayo, abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi sesifinyelele ngaphezu kwalelozinga nokuthi ingozi ‘yempi enjalo yengxibongo’ incane. Singamane nje sethembe ukuthi lokhu kunjalo. Futhi singaba nalo ithemba lokuthi ingxibongo ngempela iye yacekwa nokuthi manje ngenxa yezizathu ezithile ezingaziwa ayinakuphinde ivuke futhi esikhathini esizayo.
Ngenxa yalokho okwasungulwa uDkt. Jenner, ngokokuqala ngqá emlandweni, umuntu uye waphumelela ngokuthembisayo ukususa esinye sezitha zakhe zamagciwane abulalayo. Isayensi yezokwelapha, manje esihlonyiswe ngamathuluzi enziwe ngobuchwepheshe nokuqonda okungaphezulu kakhulu kwalokho kukaJenner, ilwela ukunqoba ezinye izifo ezithathelwanayo. Ingabe iyonqoba? Izazi zesayensi ziyavuma ukuthi naphezu kwamagxathu amaningi ukuya phambili, umgomo uwonke ubonakala ukude kakhulu ukufinyeleleka kunanini ngaphambili. Kusobala ukuthi ukuhlakanipha okungaphezu kokomuntu kuyodingeka ukuze kulethwe izwe lapho ‘kungekho sakhamuzi esiyothi: Ngiyagula.’—Isaya 33:24.
[Izithombe ekhasini 23]
Ukugonyelwa ingxibongo kwaqala ngomsebenzi kaDkt. Edward Jenner
[Umthombo]
WHO photo by J. Abcede
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
WHO photo