Qaphela Ubuthi Bomthofu!

Eminyakeni yamuva ohulumeni bakhiphe izixwayiso eziphathelene nokuthenga imikhiqizo enjengamathoyizi nemihlobiso. Kungani? Kuye kwatholakala amazinga ayingozi obuthi bomthofu ezintweni eziningi, futhi izingane ezincane zivame ukuzifaka emlonyeni. Ubuthi bomthofu bungaba yingozi kakhulu ezinganeni ezineminyaka engaphansi kweyisithupha, ngoba isimiso sazo sezinzwa sisuke sisakhula.

NGOKOCWANINGO olwenziwa i-Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, ubuthi bomthofu bungena kuyiprotheni ebalulekile ekukhuleni kobuchopho nasekuthuthukeni kwekhono lokwazi izinto. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi izingane zithola amaphesenti angaba ngu-50 ezintweni ezinomthofu ezizidlayo, kuyilapho kubantu abadala kungamaphesenti ayishumi kuya kwayishumi nesihlanu kuphela.

Ucwaningo lwamuva lusikisele ukuthi ngisho namazinga obuthi bomthofu avunyelwe ohulumeni angase abangele ingozi. Ngokwe-National Safety Council yase-United States, izinkinga zingase zihlanganise “ikhono lokufunda, ukungakwazi ukugxilisa ingqondo, izinkinga zokuziphatha, ukungakhuli kahle, ukungezwa kahle nokulimala kwezinso” ezinganeni. Abesifazane abakhulelwe kufanele bakugweme kakhulu ukuchayeka kubo ngoba ubuthi bomthofu bungawulimaza umbungu.a

Umthofu ungangena eziphuzweni nasekudleni okuphekwe ngezitsha ezinamekwe ngomthofu, ngokuvamile ezisetshenziswa ezindaweni ezithile zase-Asia naseLatin America. Ngezinye izikhathi amanzi okuphuza agcinwa emabhodweni obumba ukuze ahlale ebanda, bese iziphuzo ezishisayo ziphuzwa ngezinkomishi ezinamekwe ngomthofu. Ucwaningo olwenziwe ezinganeni ezineminyaka emihlanu eMexico City lwembula ukuthi cishe ingxenye yezingane ezinezinyanga ezingaphezu kuka-18 zazinezinga eliphezulu lomthofu egazini lazo. Kwathiwa isizathu salokhu kwakuwukudla okuphekwe ngezinto ezinamekwe ngomthofu. Umthofu wenza izinto zobumba zibe bushelelezi njengengilazi, kodwa ungaphucuka, ikakhulukazi ezitsheni okufudunyezwa ngazo noma okufakwa kuzo izithelo ezithile nemifino.

Ezinye Izinto Ezinobuthi Bomthofu

Nakuba eminyakeni yamuva amazwe amaningi eye anciphisa umthofu kuphethiloli wawo, i-World Health Organization (WHO) ithi kusenamazwe acishe abe yikhulu emhlabeni asasebenzisa uphethiloli onomthofu. Umthofu awushi ngokuphelele. Ngakho, izinhlayiya ezincane eziphuma emapayipini akhipha intuthu yezimoto zonakalisa umhlabathi oseduze nemigwaqo emikhulu. Izintuli ezinomthofu zibe sezihogelwa noma zithwalwe ngezinyawo ziye emakhaya.

Enye imbangela enkulu yokuthola ubuthi bomthofu upende owenziwe ngomthofu owawusetshenziswa ezindlini ngaphambi kokuba kubekwe imithetho elawula izinga lawo. E-United States nje kuphela, kulinganiselwa ukuthi izindlu eziyizigidi ezingu-38—okungamaphesenti angu-40 azo zonke izindlu—zipendwe ngopende owenziwe ngomthofu. Ungaba yingozi enkulu upende oxebukayo noma izintuli ezinomthofu ezibangelwa ukulungiswa kabusha kwendlu.

Amadolobha amaningi amadala nezindlu, zinamapayipi amanzi akhiwe ngomthofu noma umthofu oxutshwe nethusi. I-Mayo Clinic, isikhungo sezempilo esidumile sase-United States, isikisela ukuba uvulele amanzi imizuzwana engaba ngu-30 kuya ku-60 ngaphambi kokuba uwaphuze. Amanzi ashisayo aphuma kula mapayipi akufanele aphuzwe noma kuphekwe ngawo—ikakhulukazi lapho kwenziwa ubisi losana.

Amazinga omthofu egazini ancipha kakhulu uma kuyekwa izinto ezinomthofu. Abantu abakhathazeke ngokuba nomthofu egazini bangathanda ukuhlolwa igazi. Kufanele kufunwe usizo lwabezempilo uma kutholakala ukuthi kunezinga eliyingozi lomthofu.

Isidingo Sokuxwayisa Umphakathi

Ubuthi bomthofu bungabangela ukwenyuka kwezinga lomthofu emzimbeni ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kodwa umthofu omningi emzimbeni ungambulala umuntu. Ngo-2006, i-U.S. Centers for Disease Control yabika ukuthi kwafa ingane efunda enkulisa ngemva kokugwinya ucezwana lomhlobiso owawunezinga eliphakeme lomthofu.

Iphawula ngesidingo sokuqapha, inqolobane yolwazi lwezempilo ithi, njengamanje, ingane eyodwa kwezingu-20 e-United States inezinga eliphakeme lomthofu egazini layo. Uma kunjalo ezweni elinemithetho elawula umthofu, sinjani isimo kwamanye amazwe angenayo imithetho ewulawulayo? Ngempela, sonke kufanele siqaphele!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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EZINYE ZEZIMPAWU ZOBUTHI BOMTHOFU KUBANTWANA

Ubuhlungu besisu, ulaka, ukuntuleka kwegazi emzimbeni, izinkinga zokugxilisa ingqondo, ukusongela kwesisu, ukukhathala, ukuphathwa ikhanda, ukusheshe ucasuke, ukulahlekelwa ikhono lokwenza izinto, inhliziyo emnyama nokuphelelwa amandla nokungakhuli kahle.—MEDLINE PLUS MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.