Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ukubuya Kwekholera

Ngemva kokunyamalala iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu, ikholera isibuye ngezinkani eNingizimu Melika. “Kusukela ngo-1991, kuye kwabikwa abantu abayizigidi ezingu-1,4 abanayo kuleyo ndawo, okwafa kubo abangu-10-000,” kusho i-Times yaseLondon. Okunye okwakhathaza izikhulu zezempilo kwaba ukuqubuka kohlobo olusha lwegciwane lekholera ngo-1992 eNdiya, eBangladesh nasemazweni angomakhelwane, eliye lahlasela abantu abangu-200-000 kuze kube manje. Ikholera iyisifo sohudo esibi, futhi ibulala abangamaphesenti angu-70 uma kungatholakali indlela efanele yokuyelapha. Kodwa ukugoma kungcono kunokwelapha. Ukubilisa amanzi aphuzwayo nobisi, ukuxosha izimpukane, nokugeza ukudla okungaphekiwe ngamanzi ane-chlorine kuyizindlela eziyisisekelo zokuzivikela.

Ezokuthula Komhlaba

Kubonakala sengathi izimpi zezifunda ezazinendima ephawulekayo eMpini Yomshoshaphansi seziphelile, ngokwe-Yearbook 1997 ye-Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Ngo-1989, unyaka wokugcina weMpi Yomshoshaphansi, “kwakunezimpi ezinkulu zezikhali” ezingu-36. Ngo-1996 lesi sibalo sancipha saba ngu-27, futhi zonke izimpi kwakungezombango, ngaphandle kweyodwa, eyayiphakathi kwelaseNdiya nePakistan. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba kubonakala ngenani labantu abafa, ukushuba kweningi lalezi zimpi kwathi ukudamba noma zaqhubeka ngezinga eliphansi. “Asikho esinye isizukulwane esiye sasondela kangaka ekuthuleni komhlaba,” kuphetha i-Star, iphephandaba laseNingizimu Afrika. Umagazini i-Time uthi: “Ukubusa kweMelika . . . kuye kwenza umhlaba waba nokuThula KwaseMelika, inkathi yokuthula nokuzola komhlaba wonke okungakaze kube khona kuleli khulu leminyaka, obekuyivelakancane emlandweni wesintu.”

Lisaphuma Phambili

“Kusanyatheliswa amakhophi amaningi eBhayibheli ukwedlula noma iyiphi enye incwadi,” kubika i-ENI Bulletin. Amazwe lapho kusakazwa khona amaBhayibheli amaningi kakhulu kuseChina, e-United States naseBrazil. Ngokombiko we-United Bible Societies (UBS), kwasakazwa amakhophi eBhayibheli eliphelele ayizigidi ezingu-19,4 ngo-1996. Lokhu kwakuyingqopha-mlando kanye nokwanda okungamaphesenti angu-9,1 kunango-1995. Naphezu “kokwanda okukhulu kokusakazwa kwalo ezingxenyeni ezithile zomhlaba,” kusho uJohn Ball, umxhumanisi wezokusakaza we-UBS, “kuningi okusafanele sikwenze ukuze wonke umuntu athole ithuba lokufunda imiBhalo kalula.”

‘Izithunywa Zokufa’

Amazwe acebile aseNtshonalanga abangela “umthwalo ophindiwe” wezifo emazweni asathuthuka, kusho umbiko ka-1997 we-World Health Organization (WHO). Njengoba kwabikwa kuyi-Daily Telegraph yaseLondon, isifo senhliziyo, unhlangothi, isifo sikashukela nezinhlobo ezithile zomdlavuza kwanda kakhulu njengoba amazwe asathuthuka amukela izindlela zokuphila zaseNtshonalanga zokubhema, ukudla ukudla okunothile nokunamafutha amaningi, nokungawuvivinyi umzimba. Nakuba emhlabeni wonke abantu sebephila isikhathi eside, lokhu ‘akufezi njongo, ngoba ukuphila kusezingeni eliphansi,’ kusho uDkt. Paul Kleihues, umqondisi we-WHO. Uyanezela: “Labo abathi siyizithunywa zokufa ngempela baqinisile.” I-WHO ixhasa umkhankaso omkhulu womhlaba wonke wokukhuthaza izindlela zokuphila ezinempilo. Ithi ngaphandle kwalokho, kuyoba “nokuhlupheka okukhulu embulungeni yonke.”

Umholi WamaBuddha Ukhuthaza Ukuba Kufunwe Iqiniso

“Inkani ayiyinhle” uma kuziwa enkolweni, kusho u-Eshin Watanabe, umpristi omkhulu futhi ongumholi welinye lamahlelo obuBuddha amadala kakhulu eJapane. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi ingabe wayesho ukuthi ukuthembeka ezinkolelweni kuhle kodwa izinkolelo ezilukhuni azilungile, i-Mainichi Daily News yacaphuna incazelo yakhe: “Kufanele uzindle ngokuthi izinkolelo zakho zinembile noma zinephutha yini. Kubalulekile ukuziqhathanisa nezinye izinkolelo. Kufanele uthole futhi ukuthi zimelela iqiniso yini noma cha. Kumelwe siphinde sizihlole lezi zinto.” UWatanabe ungumholi wehlelo lobuBuddha iTendai, elafika eJapane livela eChina eminyakeni engu-1200 edlule.

Isibulala-magciwane Esingokwemvelo

Abanye abantu bajwayele ukukhotha amanxeba abo lapho belimele, njengoba kwenza izilwane. Ngokuthakazelisayo, abacwaningi baseSibhedlela iSt. Bartholomew eLondon bathole ukuthi empeleni amathe ayisibulala-magciwane esingokwemvelo. Njengoba kwabikwa ephephandabeni i-Independent, abathaki bemithi bacela abantu abangu-14 ukuba bakhothe izinhlangothi zombili zezandla zabo futhi bathola ukuthi izinga le-nitric oxide esikhunjeni lalanda kakhulu. I-nitric oxide, ikhemikhali enamandla ebulala amagciwane, yakheka lapho i-nitrite esematheni ihlangana nesikhumba esine-asidi. Le ngxube ilekelelwa enye ikhemikhali, i-ascorbate, nayo etholakala ematheni.

Insangu—Iyisidakamizwa Esiyingozi?

Sekuyisikhathi eside abantu ababhema insangu bethi lesi sidakamizwa asiyona ingozi. Nokho, “ubufakazi obusha bubonisa ukuthi imiphumela [yensangu] ebuchosheni ifana neyezidakamizwa ‘eziyingozi’ njenge-heroin,” kusho iphephabhuku i-Science. Lokhu kuhlola kwenziwa ososayensi base-United States, eSpain nase-Italy. Phakathi kwezinto abazithola kwakuwukuthi “isithako sensangu esinamandla—isithako esidunga ingqondo okuthiwa i-THC—sibangela umphumela ofanayo okubonakala wenza abantu baluthwe ezinye izidakamizwa, kusukela kuyi-nicotine kuya kuyi-heroin: ukuya kwe-dopamine engxenyeni yobuchopho ethola ‘ukwaneliseka,’” okwenza abayibhemayo balutheke. Lapho umuntu eyeka insangu ngemva kokuyibhema isikhathi eside, izinga lenye ikhemikhali, isakhi esiyingxube okuthiwa i-corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), liyanda ebuchosheni. I-CRF ihlobene nokucindezeleka ngokomzwelo nokukhathazeka okubangelwa ukuhoxa ekusebenziseni imilaliso, utshwala ne-cocaine. Ngenxa yalokho, omunye umcwaningi wathi: “Ngiyojabula kakhulu uma, ngemva kwabo bonke lobu bufakazi, abantu beyeka ukubheka i-THC njengesidakamizwa ‘esingeyona ingozi.’” Unyaka ngamunye, abantu abangaba ngu-100 000 e-United States bathola ukwelashwa ngenxa yokuluthwa insangu.

Iqhwa EGibithe Lasendulo

“Nakuba abaseGibithe lasendulo babengenazo iziqandisi, babekwazi ukwenza iqhwa ngenqubo engokwemvelo eyenzeka ezindaweni ezinesimo sezulu esomile futhi esisivivi,” kuphawula i-Countyline, iphephandaba laseBryan, e-Ohio. Babekwenza kanjani lokho? “Lapho ilanga selishona, abesifazane baseGibithe babethela amanzi ezingqwembeni zobumba ezingajulile bazibeke otshanini. Ukuhwamuka kwamanzi okusheshayo nokomswakama osoqwembeni kwakuhlangana namakhaza asebusuku futhi kwenze amanzi abe yiqhwa—nakuba izinga lokubanda lendawo lalingafinyeleli kuyizinga-qhwa.”

Ukushiswa Yilanga

“Kuye kwaqubuka umdlavuza wesikhumba ngezinga elibi eNyakatho Melika,” kusho iphephandaba i-Vancouver Sun, futhi abantu baseCanada “basengozini yokuba oyedwa kwabayisikhombisa” abe nawo ekuphileni kwakhe. Leli phephandaba liyanezela: “Kucatshangwa ukuthi ukushiswa yilanga kubangela i-melanoma kubantu abangamaphesenti angu-90.” Lo mbiko uthi isikhumba esishiswa yilanga siyalimala, futhi lokhu kubangela imibimbi ngaphambi kwesikhathi kanye nokucindezeleka kwesimiso somzimba sokuzivikela ezifweni. Ukuhlola kwezwe lonke kwabantu baseCanada abangaphezu kuka-4000 kwembula ukuthi abangamaphesenti angu-80 bayazazi izingozi zokuchaya isikhumba sabo elangeni, kodwa cishe ingxenye yabo ayivamile ukuthatha isinyathelo sokuzivikela. Uprofesa oyisekela wase-University of British Columbia uDkt. Chris Lovato, ongomunye wabaphenyi abayinhloko kulokhu kuhlola, uxwayisa ngokuthi “kudingeka sikwenze umkhuba ukuzivikela elangeni” futhi sigcizelele “izindlela ezifanele neziphephile zokujabulela ukuthamela isigcaki.”

Umkhuba Obizayo

Ukubhema kuyabiza. Kangakanani? Ngokwe-University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, kungagcina sekudle imali engu-R1100 000 noma engu-R1900-000—kuye ngokuthi ubhema iphakethe likagwayi elilodwa ngosuku noma amabili yini. I-Wellness Letter ithi: “Ake sithi usemncane bese uqala ukubhema namuhla uqhubeke iminyaka engu-50, uma ungeke ufe. Uma uthenga iphakethe elilodwa ngosuku elibiza $2,50 [R11,50] (ukuze izinto zibe lula, ake singakunaki ukwenyuka kwamanani entengo), lokho bekungadla imali engaphezu kuka-$900 [R4200] ngonyaka, noma imali engu-$45 000 [R210 150] eminyakeni engu-50. Uma ufaka leyo mali ebhange ithole inzalo engu-5% ngonyaka, ingqikithi yayo ingaphindeka izikhathi ezine.” Ukunezela izindleko eziphakeme zomshuwalense kanye nezokuhlanza (ikhaya, izingubo zokugqoka, namazinyo) kwenza ingqikithi elingana namanani abalwe ngenhla. Le ncwadi iyanezela: “Lokho akuzihlanganisi izindleko zokwelashwa ezihlobene nokubhema okuyodingeka uzikhokhele uma umshuwalense wakho wezempilo ungakuhlanganisi konke.”