Imfa pa Mapiko Ofeŵa

Sinkhondo yolembedwa kaŵirikaŵiri m’nkhani; komabe yapha miyoyo ya anthu mamiliyoni osaŵerengeka. Sinkhondo yomenyedwa ndi mabomba ndi zipolopolo; komabe ponena za nsautso imene yachititsa ndi miyoyo imene yatayika, imafanana kapena imaposa zija zazida zimenezo. M’nkhondo imeneyi, imfa imadza, osati m’ndege zankhondo zazikulu za adani, koma pa mapiko osalimba a udzudzu waukazi.

Ndi mtolankhani wa Galamukani! ku Nigeria

NDI usiku; banja lili mtulo. M’chipinda muloŵa udzudzu, ukukupiza mapiko ake kwa nthaŵi pakati pa 200 ndi 500 m’kamphindi. Ukulakalaka mwazi wa munthu. Pang’onopang’ono, utera pa mkono wa mnyamata. Popeza kuti umangolemera 3/1,000 ya gilamu imodzi, mnyamatayo sagwedera. Ndiyeno utulutsa nsingano yakuthwa kunsonga ya kukamwa kwake imene ubayira khungu la mnyamatayo pamtsempha. Mapampu aŵiri okhala m’mutu mwake akutsopa mwazi wa mnyamatayo. Panthaŵi imodzimodziyo, tizilombo topatsa malungo tikutuluka mokhalamo malovu mwa udzudzuwo kuloŵa m’mwazi wa mnyamatayo. Ntchitoyo itha mwamsanga; iye wosamva kanthu. Udzudzuwo uuluka, utakhuta mwazi wolemera kuŵirikiza katatu kuposa kulemera kwake. Masiku angapo pambuyo pake, mnyamatayo adwala matenda akayakaya. Ali ndi malungo.

Zimenezi zachitika mobwerezabwereza kwa nthaŵi mamiliyoni zikwi zambiri. Chotulukapo chake chakhala nsautso ndi imfa pamlingo waukulu. Mosakayikira, malungo ali mdani wankhanza ndi wosatopa wa mtundu wa anthu.

Odwala Afunafuna Mdani

Chimodzi cha zotumbidwa zofunika kwambiri m’nkhondo yolimbana ndi malungo chinapezedwa, osati ndi asayansi otchuka a ku Ulaya, koma ndi dokotala wa opaleshoni wa British Army wokhala ku India. Asayansi ndi madokotala a m’zaka za zana la 19, mogwirizana ndi kalingaliridwe ka m’zaka zikwi ziŵiri nthaŵiyo isanafike, anakhulupirira kuti anthu anatenga nthendayo mwa kupuma mpweya woipa wa m’matenjetenje.a Mosiyana ndi zimenezo, Dr. Ronald Ross anakhulupirira kuti udzudzu ndiwo unapatsira nthendayo kwa munthu ndi munthu. Ngakhale pamene anadziŵa kuti malungo anachititsidwa ndi tizilombo tokhala m’mwazi wa munthu, ofufuzawo anapitirizabe kufunafuna magwero ake mumpweya ndi m’madzi a m’matenjetenje. Panthaŵiyo, Ross anali kufufuza m’mimba mwa udzudzu.

Polingalira za makina ofufuzira achikale amene anali kugwiritsira ntchito, kuyang’ana m’mimba mwa udzudzu sikunali chinthu chopepuka. Pamene anali kugwira ntchito, nthenje za udzudzu ndi ntchentche zoluma zinali kuuluka momuzinga, zotsimikiza, malinga ndi kunena kwa Ross, kubwezera “imfa ya mabwenzi awo.”

Potsirizira pake, pa August 16, 1897, Ross anapeza tizilombo tobulungira m’mimba mwa udzudzu wa anopheles timene tinali titakulirapo usiku. Tizilombo ta malungo!

Atakondwera kwambiri, Ross analemba m’notibuku yake kuti wavumbula chinsinsi chimene chikapulumutsa “muyanda wa anthu.” Analembanso vesi lotengedwa m’buku la Baibulo la Akorinto: “Imfawe mbola yako ili kuti? Mandawe chilakiko chako chili kuti?”—Yerekezerani ndi 1 Akorinto 15:55.

Kusakaza kwa Malungo

Zimene Ross anapeza zinali zofunika kwambiri m’nkhondo yolimbana ndi malungo, zinathandiza kulambula njira ya nkhondo yaikulu yoyamba ya mtundu wa anthu yolimbana ndi nthendayo ndi tizilombo timene timainyamula.

Pafupifupi m’mbiri yonse, kugonjetsedwa kwa anthu m’nkhondo yolimbana ndi malungo kwatayitsa miyoyo yambiri ndipo kwapitiriza kwa nthaŵi yaitali. Mawu ozokota pamakoma ndi magumbwa a ku Igupto amachitira umboni za kupululutsa miyoyo kwa malungo kochitika zaka 1,500 Kristu asanadze padziko lapansi. Anasakaza mizinda yokongola ya m’zidikha za Girisi wakale ndi kupha Alexander Wamkulu muunyamata wake. Anapululutsa mizinda ya Roma nachititsa achuma kuthaŵira kuzitunda. Mu Nkhondo za Mtanda, Nkhondo ya Chiŵeniŵeni ya America, ndi nkhondo zadziko ziŵiri, anapha amuna ochuluka kuposa ophedwa m’kulimbana kwakukulu kwa m’nkhondo zimenezo.

Mu Afirika malungo anapatsitsa West Africa dzina lotolera lakuti “Manda a Mzungu.” Kunena zoona, nthendayo inadodometsa kwambiri mkangano wa ku Ulaya wolimbirana kulamulira Afirika kwakuti yunivesite ina ya ku West Africa inatcha udzudzu ngwazi ya dzikolo! Ku Central America, malungo anathandizira kulepheretsa zoyesayesa za France za kumanga Panama Canal. Ku South America, pomanga njanje ya Mamoré-Madeira ku Brazil, malungo ananenedwa kukhala atapha munthu mmodzi pa chochirikiza njanje chimodzi chilichonse choikidwa.

Nkhondo Yoti Ipambanidwe

Kudzitetezera ku udzudzu, komanso ku malungo mosadziŵa, kwachitika kwa zaka zikwi zambirimbiri. M’zaka za zana la 16 B.C.E., Aigupto ankagwiritsira ntchito mafuta a mtengo wa Balanites wilsoniana monga mankhwala othamangitsira udzudzu. Zaka chikwi pambuyo pake, Herodotus analemba kuti asodzi a ku Igupto anaphimba akama awo ndi maukonde awo usiku kuletsa tizilomboto kuloŵa. Zaka mazana 17 pambuyo pake, Marco Polo anasimba kuti nzika zachuma za India zinagona pamakama okhala ndi nsalu zochinga zimene zinkatsekedwa usiku.

Kwina, anthu anapeza mankhwala otengedwa ku zomera amene anali ndi phindu lalikulu. Kwa zaka zoposa 2,000, malungo ku China anachiritsidwa kotheratu ndi chomera chotchedwa qinghaosu, mankhwala achitsamba amene apezedwanso m’zaka zaposachedwapa. Ku South America, Amwenye a ku Peru ankagwiritsira ntchito khungwa la mtengo wa cinchona. M’zaka za zana la 17, mtengo wa cinchona unafika ku Ulaya, ndipo mu 1820 nzika ziŵiri za Paris zopanga mankhwala zinatengako msanganizo wotchedwa quinine.

Zida Zatsopano

Phindu la quinine la kuletsa ndi kuchiritsa malungo silinazindikiridwe msanga, koma litangozindikiridwa, iyo inakhala mankhwala othokozedwa kwambiri kwa zaka zana limodzi. Ndiyeno, kuchiyambiyambi kwa nkhondo yadziko yachiŵiri, asilikali a Japan analanda minda yofunika ya cinchona ku Far East. Kusoŵa kwakukulu kwa quinine komwe kunatsatirapo ku United States kunasonkhezera kufufuza kwakukulu kopanga mankhwala ofanana oletsa malungo. Chotero panatsatira chloroquine, mankhwala amene anali osavulaza, amphamvu kwambiri, ndi osauma mtengo kupanga.

Mwamsanga chloroquine inakhala chida chachikulu cholimbanirana ndi malungo. Ndiponso chimene chinayamba kugwiritsiridwa ntchito m’ma 1940 chinali mankhwala ophera tizilombo a DDT, wakupha wamphamvu wa udzudzu. DDT simangopha udzudzu pamene yathiridwa komanso zotsalira zake kumakoma othiridwa zimapha tizilombo.b

Kuukiranso Kopatsa Chiyembekezo

Pambuyo pa nkhondo yadziko yachiŵiri, asayansi onyamula zida za DDT ndi chloroquine analinganiza kuukiranso malungo ndi udzudzu padziko lonse. Nkhondo inali kukamenyedwera kumbali ziŵiri—mankhwala akagwiritsiridwa ntchito kupha tizilombo m’thupi la munthu, pamene kuthira kwakukulu kwa mankhwala ophera tizilombo kukafafaniza udzudzu.

Cholinga chinali chilakiko chotheratu. Malungo anafunikira kufafanizidwiratu. Nkhondoyo inali kutsogoleredwa ndi bungwe lopangidwa chatsopano la World Health Organization (WHO), limene linachititsa programu yofafanizayo kukhala yoyamba pankhani zake zazikulu. Kutsimikiza mtimako kunachirikizidwa ndi ndalama. Pakati pa 1957 ndi 1967, mitundu inawononga $1,400,000,000 mumkupiti wa padziko lonse. Zotsatirapo zake zoyambirira zinali zodabwitsa. Nthendayo inagonjetsedwa ku Ulaya, North America, Soviet Union, Australia, ndi maiko ena a ku South America. Profesa L. J. Bruce-Chwatt, ngwazi pa kulimbana ndi malungo, anati: “Kungakhale kovuta lerolino kufotokoza changu chachikulu chimene lingaliro la kufafanizalo linachititsa padziko lonse m’masiku amtendere amenewo.” Malungo anali kudzandira! Bungwe la WHO linadzitamandira kuti: “Tidzakhozadi kufafaniza malungo.”

Malungo Abwezera Nkhondo

Koma chilakikocho sichinadze. Udzudzu umene unapulumuka kusakaza kwa mankhwalako unakhala wosamva mankhwala ophera tizilombo. Tsopano DDT inaupha movutikira kusiyana ndi poyamba. Mofananamo, tizilombo ta malungo tokhala m’matupi a anthu tinaleka kumva chloroquine. Mavuto ameneŵa ndi ena anachititsa kubwevuka m’maiko ena kumene chilakiko chinaoneka kukhala chotsimikizirika. Mwachitsanzo, ku Sri Lanka kumene malungo analingaliridwa kukhala atathetsedwa mu 1963, kunabuka mliri womwe unakantha anthu mamiliyoni ambiri pambuyo pa zaka zisanu zokha.

Podzafika mu 1969 anthu ambiri anafikira pa kukhulupirira kuti malungo anali mdani amene sakanagonjetsedwa. Mmalo mwa liwu la “kufafaniza,” liwu la “kuchepetsa” linayamba kugwiritsiridwa ntchito. Kodi “kuchepetsa” kukutanthauzanji? Dr. Brian Doberstyn, mkulu wa dipatimenti ya malungo ya WHO, akufotokoza motere: “Tsopano zokha zimene tingachite ndizo kuyesa kuchepetsa ziŵerengero za imfa ndi matenda.”

Nduna ina ya WHO ikudandaula motere: “Pambuyo pa zoyesayesa za kufafaniza malungo zochitidwa m’ma 1950 ndi kugwiritsira ntchito DDT polimbana ndi tizilombo, maiko onse atopa. Umphaŵi, kusoŵa kwa zinthu zogwiritsira ntchito, kusamva mankhwala akumwa ndi ophera tizilombo kwachititsa nthendayo kupitiriza. Kunena zoona, tagonjetsedwa ndi nthendayo.”

Chochititsa chinanso nchakuti makampani opanga mankhwala aleka kufufuza kwawo. Wasayansi ya malungo wina anati: “Vuto nlakuti zimafuna ndalama zochuluka, koma zilibe phindu ndipo sizolimbikitsa.” Inde, ngakhale kuti nkhondo zambiri zapambanidwa, nkhondo yolimbana ndi malungo ili patali kutha. Komabe, Baibulo limatchula nthaŵi imene yayandikira pamene “wokhalamo sadzanena, Ine ndidwala.” (Yesaya 33:24) Kufikira nthaŵiyo, nthenda ndi imfa zidzapitirizabe kudzera pa mapiko ofeŵa.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi patsamba 15]

Nkhondo ya Udzudzu ndi Munthu

Ukuwopseza mwachindunji pafupifupi theka la anthu onse, m’maiko oposa zana limodzi, makamaka m’madera otentha. Afirika makamaka ndiye chimake.

Udzudzu umanyamulidwa ndi ndege kuchokera kumadera otentha ndipo wadwalitsa anthu okhala pafupi ndi mabwalo a ndege aakulu.

Kusakaza kwake. Umakantha anthu 270 miliyoni chaka chilichonse, ukumapha anthu okwanira 2 miliyoni. Pokhala woipa makamaka kwa akazi apathupi ndi ana, umapha avareji ya ana aŵiri m’mphindi iliyonse.

Umaukira alendo ku madera otentha. Chaka chilichonse odwala malungo “ochokera kunja” pafupifupi 10,000 amalengezedwa ku Ulaya ndi oposa 1,000 ku North America.

Machenjera ake. Udzudzu waukazi wa anopheles umaluma anthu makamaka usiku. Malungo amayambukiranso kupyolera m’kuthira mwazi ndipo mwakamodzikamodzi, m’jekeseni zoipitsidwa.

Ndi m’zaka zaposachedwapa zokha pamene mtundu wa anthu wapeza chidziŵitso ndi njira zobwezera nkhondoyo. Mosasamala kanthu za zoyesayesa zogwirizana za maiko 105 amene akuyesa kugonjetsa mliriwo, mtundu wa anthu ukulephera nkhondoyo.

[Bokosi patsamba 16]

Peŵani Kulumidwa ndi Udzudzu

Gonani kama wanu ali wotchingidwa ndi masikito. Masikito owazidwa mankhwala ophera tizilombo ndiwo abwino koposa.

Gwiritsirani ntchito air conditioner usiku ngati ilipo, kapena gonani m’zipinda za mazenera ndi zitseko zotchingidwa ndi sefa. Ngati kulibe masefa, tsekani zitseko ndi mazenera.

Dzuŵa litaloŵa, ndi bwino kuvala zovala za manja aatali ndi mabuluku. Zovala zamaonekedwe akuda zimakopa udzudzu.

Dzolani mafuta oingitsa tizilombo m’mbali za thupi zosaphimbidwa ndi chovala. Gwiritsirani ntchito omwe ali ndi diethyltoluamide (deet) kapena dimethyl phthalate.

Gwiritsirani ntchito mankhwala othira ophera udzudzu, mankhwala othira a m’zitini ophera tizilombo, kapena mankhwala ofukizira udzudzu.

Magwero: World Health Organization.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

H. Armstrong Roberts

[Bokosi patsamba 17]

Kulibe ‘Chipolopolo Chamatsenga’”

Pamene kuli kwakuti chiyembekezo cha chilakiko chotheratu chikuoneka kukhala kutali kwambiri, nkhondo yolimbana ndi malungo ikupitirizabe. Pamsonkhano wa mitundu yonse wonena za malungo umene unachitikira ku Brazzaville, Congo, mu October 1991, oimira WHO anapempha kuti “kalingaliridwe kakupha” kasiyidwe nanena kuti maiko onse akonzekerenso kuchepetsa malungo. Kodi zoyesayesa zotero zidzapambana motani?

“Kulibe ‘chipolopolo chamatsenga’ chophera malungo,” mtsogoleri wamkulu wa WHO Hiroshi Nakajima anatero posachedwapa. “Chotero tiyenera kulimbana nawo kumbali zambiri.” Nazi mbali zitatu zomenyera nkhondoyo zimene zakhala zotchuka posachedwapa:

Akatemera. Asayansi akhala akugwira ntchito zaka zambiri kufunafuna katemera wa malungo, ndipo ofalitsa nkhani amalengeza nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi za “zipambano” za kufufuzako. Pofuna kuthetsa chiyembekezo chopambanitsa, WHO ikuchenjeza za “chinyengo cha kukhalako kwa katemera wa malungo patsogolopa.”

Limodzi la mavuto a kupanga katemera nlakuti kachilombo ka malungo kokhala mwa munthu kakhala kokhoza bwino lomwe kuzemba dongosolo la munthu lotetezera thupi ku matenda limene limayesayesa kukawononga. Ngakhale pambuyo pa zaka zambiri za kudwala mobwerezabwereza, anthu amangokhala otetezereka pang’ono ku nthendayo. Dr. Hans Lobel, katswiri wa zamiliri pa Centers for Disease Control ya United States ku Atlanta akuti: “Sumakhala ndi thupi lotetezereka utangodwala kangapo. Chotero [poyesa kupanga katemera] mumakhala mukuyesa kuwongolera chilengedwe.”

Mankhwala. Chifukwa cha kusamva mankhwala omwe alipo komawonjezereka kwa kachilombo ka malungo, WHO ikuchirikiza kupangidwa kwa mankhwala otchedwa arteether, otengedwa kumaliroliro otchedwa qinghaosu a chitsamba cha ku China.c WHO ikhulupirira kuti qinghaosu ingakhale magwero a mtundu watsopano kwambiri wa mankhwala otengedwa ku zomera, amene angadzapezeke m’maiko onse mkati mwa zaka khumi.

Masikito. Njira yodzitetezera ku udzudzu imeneyi ya zaka zikwi ziŵiri ikugwirabe ntchito. Kaŵirikaŵiri udzudzu wa malungo umaluma usiku, ndipo masikito amauletsa kuloŵa. Masikito amene amagwira ntchito bwino ndi aja oviikidwa m’mankhwala ophera tizilombo, onga permethrin. Kufufuza kwa mu Afirika kumasonyeza kuti kumidzi kumene masikito oviikidwa m’mankhwala anayamba kugwiritsiridwa ntchito, imfa za malungo zinatsika ndi 60 peresenti.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi patsamba 18]

Kodi Mukupita ku Madera Otentha?

Ngati mukulingalira kupita kumadera kumene kuli malungo, muyenera kuchita zotsatirazi:

1. Kambitsiranani ndi dokotala wanu kapena chipatala cha katemera.

2. Tsatirani mosamalitsa malangizo amene mwapatsidwa, ndipo ngati mukumwa mankhwala oletsa malungo, pitirizani kutero kwa milungu inayi pambuyo pochoka kudera la malungo.

3. Dzitetezereni kuti udzudzu usakulumeni.

4. Dziŵani zizindikiro za malungo: manthunthumira, mutu, kuphwanya m’thupi, kusanza, ndi/kapena kupaza. Kumbukirani kuti malungo angaonekere patapita chaka chimodzi kuyambira pamene munachoka kudera la malungo ngakhale ngati mankhwala oletsa malungo anagwiritsiridwa ntchito.

5. Ngati mwakhala ndi zizindikiro zimenezo, kaonaneni ndi dokotala. Malungo angakule mofulumira ndipo angachititse imfa m’maola osakwanira 48 kuyambira pamene zizindikiro zoyamba zaonekera. Magwero: World Health Organization.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 14]

H. Armstrong Roberts