Izifo Ezibulala Ngokukhululeka

UMARGARET walifuna ngempela ikhambi lapho indodana yakhe uTito ingenwe umalaleveva. Imilaliso emithathu, kuhlanganise ne-“chloroquine” edume kakhulu, yasetshenziswa. Nakuba kunjalo, uTito wafa—enezinyanga nje eziyisishiyagalolunye ubudala.

EKenya, izwe uMargaret azalelwa kulo, inhlekelele enjalo ivame kakhulu. I-“Newsweek” iyabika: “I-‘Anopheles gambiae,’ uhlobo oluyinhloko lomiyane abathwala umalaleveva, iyachuma kulengxenye yezwe. Abantwana abachumi. Amaphesenti amahlanu abo abulawa umalaleveva ngaphambi kokufinyelela ezingeni lokuya esikoleni.”

Ngo-1991 isifo sofuba sabulala iziboshwa ezingu-12 nonogada oyedwa eNew York State, e-U.S.A. “Sizolwa naso emajele,” kusho uDkt. George DiFerdinando, Jr., “kodwa umbuzo odinga impendulo uwukuthi ningakwazi kanjani ukulwa naso manje njengoba sesizinzile emphakathini?”

I-World Health Organization ibika ukuthi izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,7—cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zenani labantu emhlabeni—ithwele igciwane lesifo sofuba. Unyaka ngamunye, abayizigidi eziyisishiyagalombili kulaba baba nalesifo ngokunamandla, futhi abayizigidi ezintathu bayafa.

Esibhedlela esithile saseNew York, umntwana oyintombazane wazalwa emasontweni angu-11 ngaphambi kwesikhathi, kodwa lokhu kwakumane nje kuyingxenye yenkinga yakhe. Ukwebuza kwezandla zakhe, izilonda ezinyaweni zakhe, isibindi nobende okuvuvukele, konke lokhu kwanikeza ubufakazi obusobala bokuthi wayengenwe ugcunsula ngesikhathi esesesizalweni sikanina.

“Abanye abantwana balinyazwa kakhulu yilesisifo ngesikhathi besesezizalweni zonina kangangokuba baze bazalwe sebefile,” kubika i-“New York Times.” “Abanye abambalwa bafa ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuzalwa, abanye benezilonda esikhunjeni eziqhuma phakathi nokubeletha.”

Umalaleveva, isifo sofuba, nogcunsula—kwakucatshangwa ukuthi kokuthathu kwakulawuleka futhi kusondele ekuqedweni emashumini eminyaka ambalwa adlule. Kungani manje kwenza ibuya elibhubhisayo?