I-Guinea Worm—Izinsuku Zayo Zokugcina
Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eNigeria
USUKU luyashisa, njengazo zonke izinsuku. UChinyere ubeletha ingane yakhe emhlane, uthatha izigubhu ezimbili zamaselwa omisiwe, futhi uhambisana nabanye abantu bomuzi abahamba emgwaqweni owubhuqu. Bayahambisana badlula emasimini ashiswe yilanga baya echibini elincane, okuwukuphela komthombo wamanzi okhona kulendawo. Echibini uhamba ngokucophelela uya ezansi osebeni olunodaka olushelelayo futhi uklubhuza emanzini afika emadolweni ukuze akhe amanzi.
Ubona izingwenya ezilele otshanini obubunile obusosebeni nezihamba kancane ngezansi nje kwechibi, kodwa akazesabi. Njengoba omunye umuntu osechibini esho: “Asizihluphi, ngakho nazo azisihluphi.”
Amazwi anjalo ngeke ngokuqinisekile ashiwo ngezinye izidalwa ezihlala echibini. UChinyere akaziboni, ngeke azibone; zincane kakhulu. Zisemanzini agelezela ezigujini zakhe zamanzi.
I-Guinea Worm Eyingozi
UChinyere ubuyela ekhaya lakhe elakhiwe ngodaka lafulelwa ngotshani futhi uthululela amanzi embizeni yobumba. Ngemva kokuba inhlabathi seyizikile, uyaphuza. Ngemva konyaka ubona okuthile ezansi emlenzeni wakhe okufana nomthambo omncane oqhansile. Kodwa akusiwo umthambo. Isidalwa esibonakala ngesibonakhulu esasisemanzini awaphuza sesikhule saba i-guinea worm ezacile engamasentimitha angu-80.
Ngokushesha lesibungu sizobangela ibhamuza elibuhlungu elizoba sesikhunjeni sakhe. Khona-ke, ibhamuza lizoqhuma, bese isibungu esinombala omthubi siqala ukuvela, amasentimitha ambalwa usuku ngalunye. Kuzothatha amasonto amabili kuya kwamane—mhlawunbe nangaphezulu—ngaphambi kokuba sivele ngokuphelele. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, uChinyere cishe uzokhubazeka, futhi ubuhlungu bakhe buzokhula. Ibhamuza eliqhumile lingase lingenwe yigciwane, libangele isifo sokuqina kwemisipha, ukuvunda kwesilonda, isifo samathambo, noma ithumba.
UChinyere uhlushwa isibungu nje esisodwa, kodwa akukhona okungavamile ukuba isisulu singenwe izibungu eziningi, ngisho nezingaphezu kweshumi noma ngaphezulu, ngesikhathi esisodwa. Ngokuvamile ziphuma ezithweni ezingezansi, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi ziyahamba futhi zivele kwezinye izingxenye zomzimba, njengasekhanda, emabeleni, nasolimini.
Nokho, ngenxa yomkhankaso owenziwa emhlabeni wonke wokusiqeda, lesibungu kungenzeka sinqotshwe ngokushesha. Emhlabeni wonke, ngokwe-World Health Organization, manje sikhathaza abantu abangaphansana kwezigidi ezintathu, cishe bonke abahlala ePakistan, eNdiya, nasemazweni angu-17 aseAfrika. Esikhathini esingaphansi kweminyaka eyishumi esedlule, sahlupha abantu abafinyelela ezigidini eziyishumi. EAsia, i-guinea worm manje isonqenqemeni lokuqedwa; emazweni amaningi athintekile aseAfrika, lesilwane esiphila ngezinye sizoqothulwa ngasekupheleni kuka-1995.
Umlando Omude
I-guinea worm iye yahlupha isintu kusukela mandulo, ikakhulukazi eMpumalanga Ephakathi naseAfrika. I-guinea worm eyomile yatholwa esidunjini esomisiwe sentombazane eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala esatholwa eGibithe. Ngokudabukisayo, imilenze yayo yomibili yayinqunyiwe, mhlawumbe ukuze kunqandwe ukubhibha kwesilonda esasibangelwe ukungenwa i-guinea worm.
Kunokwaziswa okuningi emibhalweni yasendulo. Ukwaziswa kokuqala ngqá okubhekisela ku-guinea worm kutholakala encwadini yaseGibithe. Yachaza umkhuba wokuzongolozela isibungu esiphumayo endukwini. Ekhulwini lesibili leminyaka B.C.E., umuntu ongumGreki okuthiwa uAgatharchides waseCnidus wabhala: “Abantu abathathwa begula oLwandle Olubomvu babehlushwa ukugula okuyinqaba nokwakungaziwa ngaphambili, phakathi kokunye kwakuphuma kubo izibungu, izinyoka ezincane, zidle imilenze kanye nezingalo zabo, futhi lapho zithintwa zazigoqana, zizizongolozele emisipheni, futhi zazibangela ubuhlungu obungabekezeleleki.”
Ukwelashwa
Isisho sesiNgisi esithi, “Ukuvimbela kungcono kunokwelapha,” ngokuqinisekile siyasebenza kulesifo esibangelwa yi-guinea worm. Empeleni alikho ikhambi lalesifo. Uma nje umuntu ephuza amanzi aneqanda le-guinea worm, akukho lutho olungenziwa ngokwezokwelapha kuze kube yilapho isibungu sesizophuma esikhunjeni, ngaphambi kokuba siveze ibhamuza. Kulelozinga udokotela owuchwepheshe ngezinye izikhathi angasikhipha lesilwane esiphila ngezinye ngemva kokusika kancane eduze nesibungu maphakathi naso. Khona-ke ube esesebenzisa ithuluzi elinehhuku ukuze akhiphe enye ingxenye yalesibungu, akhe inkintshela phezu kwesikhumba. Ekugcineni udonsa ngokucophelela sonke isibungu, okuwumsebenzi ophela ngemva kwemizuzu eminingana.
Nokho, lapho isibungu siqala ukuziphumela, ukuvuvukala kwendawo eqhumbuzekile kuvimbela ukuba isibungu sidonseke kalula. Khona-ke, okungcono kakhulu isisulu esingakwenza ukulandela indlela yakudala yokuzongolozela ngokucophelela isibungu endukwini encane njengoba siqhubeka sivela. Kumelwe kuqashelwe ukuba isibungu singanqamuki. Uma singanqamuka, ingxenye esele ibuyela ngaphakathi esisulwini futhi kuphumela kokunye ukuvuvukala, ubuhlungu, kanye nokuba nalesifo.
Kuncane okungenziwa ngokokwelapha ukuze kunqotshwe i-guinea worm phakathi esisulwini sayo esingumuntu. Kodwa kuningi okungenziwa ukuze kunqotshwe lesilwane esiphila ngezinye lapho sisengaphandle komzimba womuntu.
Ukunqoba I-guinea Worm
Enye indlela iwukwenza ukuba kube nemithombo elondekile yamanzi, njengomthombo owumgodi ombiwe, ongeke ungenwe amaqanda e-guinea worm. Enye indlela iwukufundisa abantu basemaphandleni ukuba babilise amanzi abawaphuzayo noma bawasefe ngokuwathela endwangwini ecolekile. Indlela yesithathu iwukuthela echibini ikhemikhali ebulala amaqanda kodwa engalimazi abantu noma izilwane.
Kuzo zonke izizwe ezisele lapho lesifo sihlasele isizwe sonke, izinhlelo ezinqala zokusiqeda ziqhubeka kahle kakhulu ukuze kucwaningwe izindawo zasemaphandleni ezithintekile futhi kusizwe abantu abahlala kuzo ukuze kuvinjelwe lesifo. Kuze kube manje, lemizamo ibonakale iphumelela kakhulu. Manje kubonakala sengathi i-guinea worm isiphila ezinsukwini zayo zokugcina. Futhi akekho oyodabuka ngokuqedwa kwayo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
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