“Ubhubhane Oluqothula Kunalo Lonke Emlandweni Wesintu”

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA

“Emhlabeni kabanzi ayikho impi ebhubhisa njengobhubhane lwengculaza.”—UNGQONGQOSHE WEZANGAPHANDLE WASE-UNITED STATES UCOLIN POWELL.

UMBIKO wokuqala osemthethweni ophathelene nengculaza wavela ngo-June 1981. Umphathi we-Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) uPeter Piot uthi: “Akekho noyedwa kithi esasihilelekile ngalezo zinsuku zokuqala zengculaza owayecabanga ukuthi ubhadane lwengculaza lwaluyosakazeka ngezinga elingaka.” Ngeminyaka engu-20 luye lwaba ubhubhane olukhulu kunalo lonke futhi izinkomba zibonisa ukuthi luyoqhubeka lwanda.

Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-36 abaphila negciwane lesandulela-ngculaza [HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)], kanti kunabanye abayizigidi ezingu-22 asebefile bebulawa yizifo ezidalwa yingculaza.a Ngonyaka ka-2000, ingculaza yabulala abayizigidi ezintathu emhlabeni wonke, ingqikithi ephakeme kunazo zonke onyakeni owodwa selokhu kwaqala lolu bhadane. Laba bantu bafa yize babesebenzisa imishanguzo yokulwa naleli gciwane, ikakhulukazi emazweni adla izambane likapondo.

Ingculaza Ihlasela I-Afrika

I-Afrika eseningizimu yeSahara, enabantu abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-25,3 abanaleli gciwane, iyisidleke salolu bhubhane. Kule ndawo iyodwa, bayizigidi ezingu-2,4 abafa ngenxa yemiphumela yengculaza ngonyaka ka-2000, okungamaphesenti angu-80 engqikithi yabafa emhlabeni wonke. Ingculaza iyimbangela enkulu yokufa kule ndawo.b

ENingizimu Afrika kunenani eliphakeme labantu abanaleli gciwane kunakunoma iliphi izwe emhlabeni, elilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-4,7. Kuleli zwe, abantwana abangu-5 000 bazalwa benegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza nyanga zonke. Lapho ekhuluma eNgqungqutheleni Yomhlaba Wonke Yengculaza ye-13, eyaqhutshelwa eThekwini ngo-July 2000, owayenguMongameli waseNingizimu Afrika uNelson Mandela wathi: ‘Sashaqeka lapho sizwa ukuthi eNingizimu Afrika osemusha oyedwa kwababili, okungukuthi isigamu sentsha yethu uzobulawa ingculaza. Okwethusa nakakhulu ukuthi bekungagwenywa futhi kungagwenywa ukuba bonke laba bantu izibalo ezisibonisa ngabo bangenwe yileli gciwane, kugwemeke nokuhlupheka kwabantu okuhambisana nalo.’

Ukuhlasela Kwengculaza Nakwamanye Amazwe

Amanani abantu abangenwa yileli gciwane anda ngokushesha naseMpumalanga Yurophu, e-Asia, naseCaribbean. Ekupheleni kuka-1999, babengu-420 000 abantu ababenaleli gciwane eMpumalanga Yurophu. Ngasekupheleni kuka-2000, kwakulinganiselwa ukuthi lelo nani lase lenyuke laba okungenani ngu-700 000.

Inhlolo-vo eyenziwa emadolobheni amakhulu ayisithupha aseMelika yembula ukuthi zingamaphesenti angu-12,3 izinsizwa ezingongqingili ezinegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza. Ngaphezu kwalokho, zingamaphesenti angu-29 kuphela ezinalo leli gciwane ezazazi ukuthi zinalo. Uchwepheshe wezifo eziwumshayabhuqe owenza le nhlolo-vo wathi: “Samane sacobeka lapho sithola ukuthi ambalwa kangaka amadoda anegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza ayazi ukuthi analo. Lokho kusho ukuthi abantu abasanda kungenwa yileli gciwane balidlulisela kwabanye bengazi.”

Engqungqutheleni yochwepheshe bengculaza eSwitzerland ngo-May 2001, lesi sifo sabizwa ngokuthi “ubhubhane oluqothula kunalo lonke emlandweni wesintu.” Njengoba kuphawuliwe, ingculaza ihlasele kanzima e-Afrika eseningizimu yeSahara. Isihloko sethu esilandelayo sizodingida isizathu salokho.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 3]

‘Okwethusa nakakhulu ukuthi bekungagwenywa futhi kungagwenywa ukungenwa yileli gciwane kanye nokuhlupheka okuhambisana nako.’—UNELSON MANDELA

[Isithombe ekhasini 2, 3]

Abantu abaningi abanegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza abazi ukuthi banalo

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

UN/DPI Photo 198594C/Greg Kinch