Kwiminyaka embalwa egqithileyo, ndisenza uphandosifundo kwiikliniki zoMzantsi Afrika jikelele, ndabiza iqela loonompilo ukuba bancokole nam ngezona zinto bazibona ziyimingeni kubo.
Ndava izinto ezininzi ezinikisa umdla, kodwa eyona yahlala inkenteza kwintloko yam yaba yi ‘Ebola’. Yona iTB zange bathethe kwakuthetha ngayo.
Yandimangaza ikwandothusa ke le nto. Kutheni, ndandinomdla wokwazi, kutheni iEbola iyeyona nto yoyikisa oonompilo baseMzantsi Afrika? “Ngoba”, ndandimane ndixelelwa, “ukuba iEbola iyafika apha, sakubhubha sonke”.
Njengokuba lusondele usuku lokuqaphela iTB, ndibuyela kule ngcingane. UMzantsi Afrika unelona nani liphezulu labantu abosuleleka yiTB kwilizwe lonke. Sekulixesha elide kunje futhi. Kwaye iseza kubanjalo.
Nangona izifo ezifana neeListeriosis neeEbola zihleli phezulu kwiindaba kwaye zisoyikisa izigidi zabantu, iTB yona ithe cwaka, ithe chu ibulala abantu kwaye ayihoywanga kangako yiMedia. Ngelo xesha, ngosuku nje olunye baninzi abemi beli ababulawa yiTB kunale Listeriosis isematheni. Kwaye awunakugqiba nokubala iminwe yesandla esinye xa uphakamisa inani labemi baseMzantsi Afrika ababulewe yiEbola, bambalwa gqithi.
Yinto ekumele isivuse ke le nanjengoko uMzantsi Afrika uqaphela usuku lweWorld Health Organisation leTB ngalo Mgqibelo.
ITB isaqhuba ngokuphazamisa intlalontle nezoqoqosho kubahlali jikelele kweli. Itsho ngamandla kubahlali abangamaxhoba obuhlwempu, ngokuthi ibulale abaqikelelwa kuma270 abantu ngosuku nje olunye.
Ukubulawa yiTB kuphula iintsapho kwaye kukwabetha ngqo kwezoqoqosho zeli ngokuthi kubekho uxinizelelo kwiinkqubo zempilo kweli (ezihleli ziethe-ethe), kwezemigodi, kwezolwakhiwo lwezakhiwo kwakunye nabanye abasebenzi. Bonke aba bantu babulawa sisifo esinyangekayo ke phofu xa umntu ethe waxilongwa wanikwa amayeza afanelekileyo.
Umyinge ongangeepesenti ezilithoba zabantu ababhubha eMzantsi Afrika babulawa yiTB kwaye ngabantu abangama400 000 abathi bafumane iTB qho ngonyaka kweli. Kodwa ziipesenti ezingama53 kuphela ezithi ziye kunyango lweTB. Nangona uvavanyo namayeza eTB efumaneka simahla, inani labakhangela unyango lusephantsi. Ngoba?
Ingxaki ipha kulondolozo lweenkonzo zeTB. Kumntu omnye kwabathathu abaneTB uyakufumanisa ukuba iTB bayaphosakala okanye bavavanywe kodwa bangafakwa kwinkqubo yonyango zisuka. Nto ebangela ukuba sizibone sesinabantu abangama150 000 abangafumenanga nyango. Kwakhona, ikota yabo baqala amayeza abawagqibi ngenxa yemingeni efana nokungazikhathaleli okanye iinkonzo zoncedo ezingekho semgangathweni.
U2018 ngunyaka weenguqu eMzantsi Afrika. Inguqu esithe sazibona pha phezulu kurhulumento zisinike imvuselelo nethemba nokuba singakwazi ukwenza. Isikhokelo esitsha seli sizibophelele kwisibambiso sokuphendula. Lifikile ke ixesha lokuba sizinike uxanduva ngeTB kwaye nabo banoxanduva kufuneka baphendule, balandelelele. Zonke iinkokeli: oosopolitiki, oomanejala kwezempilo, uluntu nabahlali ngokubanzi kufuneka luzimisele ngokugxotha isifo sephepha.
Urhulumente namaqabane akhe batyale imali eninzi ukulwa esi sifo. Urhulumente nguye osinika amayeza kunye noonompilo abasebenza nabahlali ekuvavanyeni iTB, ukunkinkisha amayeza nokunceda izigulane zigqibe unyango.
Ukuzothi ga ngoku kutyalwa imali engange R4 Billion ngonyaka yokulwa iTB eMzantsi Afrika. Uninzi lwale mali (90%) isuka ngqo kurhulumente neerhafu zabantu.
UMzantsi Afrika ukwanalo nethamsanqa lokuba neenkokeli ezifana nooMphathiswa uMotsaoledi abazimisele ukulwa esi sifo. Zonke ezi nzame zabo zifikelele kwintlangano kazwelonke yeUnited Nations (UN) engeTB.
Umxholo wolu suku lokuqaphela iTB 2018 ngu “Unite to End TB” / “Manyanani ukuze kupheliswe iTB”. Abemi baseMzantsi Afrika kufuneka bamanyane, babuze imibuzo enzima kwaye banyanzelise ukuphendulwa ngemiba yeTB. Masiphakame – simanyane – egameni labangama 400 000 ababulawa yiTB qho ngonyaka eMzantsi Afrika.
*UZameer Brey yinkokeli yenkqubo yeTB kwiBill and Malinda Gates Foundation eMzantsi Afrika.
Liyoyikisa izinga lokunyamalala kwamadoda eGqeberha!