Kushayisana izibalo ngengculazi
SEHLILE isibalo sabantu abangenwa yigciwane lengculazi eNingizimu Afrika kodwa ziyakhathaza izibalo eziphansi zabasebenzisa amakhondomu.
Lokhu kuvezwe umbiko wakamuva, iSouth African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey, 2017 oqukethe izibalo zokusabalala kwegciwane lengculazi kuleli.
Lo mbiko ungowesihlanu kusuka owayenguMengameli wakuleli, uDkt Nelson Mandela, anxusa ukuthi kwenziwe owokuqala ngo-2002.
Ngokwalo mbiko owethulwe yisikhungo socwaningo, iHuman Sciences Research Council (HSRC), sehle ngo-44% isibalo zabantu abangenwa yigciwane lengculazi kuleli kusuka ngo-2012 kuya ngo-2017. Lokhu kusho ukuthi balinganiselwa ku- 231,100 abantu abangenwe yileli gciwane ngo-2017. Abacwaningi bathe lesi sibalo siphezulu kodwa sikhombisa ukuthi kukhona umehluko owenziwa elakuleli ekulweni nokusabalala kwegciwane lengculazi.
USolwazi Khangelani Zuma, ongumqondisi wezinhlelo zocwaningo lwegciwane lengculazi nofuba kusikhungo socwaningo i-HSRC, uthe le miphumela yimiphumela esingayijabulela kodwa sibuye nganeno.
“Le nto ikabili. Kubalulekile ukuthi sesingaphakamisa izandla sibonge ukuthi sesingakwazi ukuthi sehlise isibalo sabantu abangenwa yigciwane kodwa asikakwazi ukuthi singazishayela izandla ngoba asikafiki lapho okufanele sifike khona. Inhloso yethu ukuthi sifinyelele ekutheni sinqamule lolayini wokusuleleka kwabantu ngegciwane lengculazi. Sifuna ukufika ekutheni kungabe kusaba namuntu ongenwa yileli gciwane,” kusho uZuma.
Umbiko uveze ukuthi noma sehlile isibalo sabangenwa yileli gciwane kusanezinto ezikhathazayo, njengokubaphansi kokusetshenziswa kwamakhondomu.
UZuma uthe ukubaphansi kokusetshenziswa kwamakhondomu kuyinkinga ngoba kusho ukuthi abantu bakuleli bathembele kwimishanguzo yokuthithibalisa igciwane lengculazi amaantiretrovirals (ARV), abazisebenzisi izindlela ezikhona zokuzivikela. Uthe lokhu kuyinkinga ngoba ukuhlinzeka imishanguzo kuyabiza kunokuthi abantu bazivikele. Ngokombiko, iningi lalabo abathatha imishanguzo basezingeni lokuthi bangalidluliseli leli gciwane nokwenza umehluko ekutheni kwehle isibalo sabangenwa yilo.
Kuphinde kwavela ukuthi siphezulu isibalo sabantu abaphila negciwane lengculazi. Kukholakala ukuthi lokhu kungenxa yokuhlinzekwa kwemishanguzo nosekuholele ekutheni abantu abanegciwane lengculazi baphile isikhathi eside. Balinganiselwa ku-4.4 million abantu abaphila negciwane lengculazi abathatha imishanguzo yokuthithibalisa igciwane kuleli.
UZuma uthe kuyakhathaza ukuthi noma kungumgomo wakuleli ukuthi wonke umuntu akwazi ukuhlolela igciwane lengculazi bese ethola imishanguzo sisaphezulu isibalo sabantu abangahloli – iningi lalaba abantu besilisa athe bagcina bethelele amantomabazane asemancane ngaleli gciwane. Isifundazwe saKwaZuluNatal yisona esihamba phambili ngezibalo zabantu abanegciwane, silandelwa yiFree State ne-Eastern Cape.
UNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo kuzwelonke, uDkt Aaron Motsoaledi, uwuncomile umsebenzi wabacwaningi.
UMotsoaledi uthe elakuleli lisalelwe umsebenzi omkhulu wokuthola indlela yokuheha abesilisa nabantu abasha abaphakathi kweminyaka engu-15 no-24 ukuze bahlolele igciwane lengculazi bese bethatha imishanguzo.