Kodi Nchifukwa Ninji Nthenda “Zochiritsika” Zabukanso?

NYUMBAYO yangoyeretsedwa bwino kwambiri kumene. Komabe, pamene masiku, milungu, ndi miyezi ikupita, fumbi ndi zinyalala zikuonekeranso pang’onopang’ono. Chifukwa chake, kuyeretsa bwino kwambiri kumodziko nkosakwanira. Kuyeretsa kopitiriza nkofunika.

Panthaŵi ina kunaonekera monga ngati kuti mankhwala amakono anali atathetseratu nthenda ya malungo, TB (tuberculosis [kholodzi]), ndi chindoko. Komabe kuyeretsa kofunika kupyolera m’kufufuza ndi kuzichiritsa kunalekereredwa nthaŵi zambiri. Tsopano “fumbi ndi zinyalala” zimenezo zaonekeranso. “Kuzungulira dziko lonse, mkhalidwe wa nthenda ya malungo ngwowopsa ndipo ukuipaipabe,” akutero Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima wa gulu la WHO (World Health Organization). “Anthu ayenera kuzindikira kuti nthenda ya TB yabweranso—ndipo yabweranso kudzalipsira,” akuchenjeza motero katswiri wa nthenda ya kholodzi Dr. Lee Reichman. Ndipo The New York Times inalengeza kuchiyambiyambi kwa zaka za khumi zino kuti: “Mitundu yatsopano ya chindoko yafika pamlingo waukulu kwambiri chiyambire 1949.”

Malungo—Akuwopseza Pafupifupi Theka la Anthu a Padziko

Tsopano, pafupifupi zaka 40 chiyambire pamene kunalengezedwa kuti anali pafupifupi atathetsedwa, malungo akuwopseza kwambiri Afghanistan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, ndi m’mbali zosiyanasiyana za Afrika. “Ana aŵiri amafa ndi malungo mphindi iliyonse,” ikusimba motero nyuzipepala ya ku France Le Figaro. Chiŵerengero cha anthu amene amafa pachaka ndicho mamiliyoni aŵiri—kuposa amene amafa ndi AIDS.

Pafupifupi anthu mamiliyoni 270 ngoyambukiridwa ndi kachilombo ka malungo, koma anthu mamiliyoni zikwi 2.2 akulingaliridwa kukhala pangozi yodwala nthendayo. “Kodi nchifukwa ninji kuli kwakuti nthenda ya malungo, imene kale inathetsedwa kapena imene kwakukulukulu inaletsedwa kwa anthu apadziko okwanira 90 peresenti, tsopano ikuwopsezanso oposa 40 peresenti ya anthufe?” akufunsa motero Phyllida Brown mu New Scientist. Zifukwa zake nzambiri.

Kugwetsa nkhalango ndi kulanda malo. Anthu okhala m’madera a nkhalango zamvula mmene mumaswana udzudzu achititsa kubuka kwa malungo m’Brazil. “Chimene chinachitika ndicho kuloŵerera kwa anthu m’malo okhala udzudzu,” akutero katswiri wa katemera Claudio Ribeiro. Iye akuti, osamukirakowo “sanadwalepo nthenda ya malungo ndipo anali osakhoza kudzitetezera panthendayo.”

Kusamukira dziko lina. Anthu ofunafuna ntchito ochokera ku Myanmar amafika muunyinji kumigodi ya miyala ya mtengo wapatali ya Borai, tauni yaing’ono ya ku Thailand. “Kuyendayenda kwawo kosalekezako kumachititsa kuletsa nthenda ya malungo kukhala kosatheka,” ikusimba motero Newsweek. Pafupifupi anthu 10,000 odwala malungo amalembedwa mwezi ndi mwezi—pakati pa antchito za m’migodi okha!

Kuona malo. Anthu ambiri amene amakaona malo m’madera amalungo amabwerera kwawo atayambukiridwa nawo. Motero, mu 1991 anthu 1,000 anapimidwa napezeka ndi matendawo mu United States ndipo 10,000 ku Ulaya. Chaka ndi chaka alendo okawona malo ndi anthu ogwira ntchito kutsidya kwa nyanja amabwerera ku Canada atayambukiridwa nawo. M’chochitika china chomvetsa chisoni, ana aŵiri anayamba kudwala malungo banja lawo litangofika kumene kuchokera ku Afrika. Dokotala sanalingalire matendawo kukhala malungo. “Podzafika nthaŵi imene makolo awo anawapititsa kuchipatala, anali atachedwa kale,” ikusimba motero Globe and Mail ya ku Toronto. “Anawo anafa motsatizana m’maola ochepa.”

Nthenda yosamva mankhwala. Gulu la WHO likusimba kuti kusamva mankhwala kwa malungo kwafalikira kumadera onse otentha a Afrika. Ku Southeast Asia, ikutero Newsweek, “kusamva mankhwala kukuwonjezereka mofulumira kwakuti malungo ena posachedwa adzakhala osachiritsika.”

Kusoŵa ndalama. M’malo ena m’zipatala zazing’ono mulibe ngakhale ziwiya zopimira mwazi mosavuta. M’malo ena ndalama zambiri za zaumoyo zimagwiritsiridwa ntchito pazinthu zina zofunika mwamsanga, zikumachititsa kupereŵera kwa mankhwala ophera tizilombo ndi mankhwala ochiritsira anthu. Nthaŵi zina imangokhala nkhani ya kupeza phindu. “Simungapeze phindu munthenda za m’malo otentha,” ikuvomereza motero New Scientist, “chifukwa chakuti, kaŵirikaŵiri, awo amene amadwala sangathe kugula mankhwala ake.”

Kholodzi—Wakupha Wakale Wadza m’Njira Zatsopano

Streptomycin, mankhwala amene anasonyeza kukhala oletsa kholodzi, anayamba mu 1947. Panthaŵiyo, kunalingaliridwa kuti nthenda ya kholodzi ikathetsedweratu. Koma kubukanso kwake kwadzidzidzi kwachitika m’maiko ena: ziŵerengero za odwala TB zawonjezereka kwambiri m’zaka zaposachedwapa. “M’madera amene ali aumphaŵi mu America,” ikusimba motero The Washington Post, “ziŵerengero za odwala TB nzazikulu kwambiri kuposa za maiko osauka kwambiri a kumunsi kwa Sahara mu Afrika.” Mu Côte d’Ivoire muli chimene nyuzipepala ina ikuchitcha kuti “kubukanso kwankhanza kwa nthenda ya kholodzi.”

Dr. Michael Iseman akudandaula kuti: “Tinadziŵa mmene tingaichiritsire. Tinali kuilamulira. Koma tinalephera penapake.” Kodi chinapinga nkhondo yolimbana ndi kholodziyi nchiyani?

AIDS. Popeza kuti imachititsa munthu kukhala wosatetezereka pa kuyambukiridwa ndi matenda, AIDS ikulingaliridwa kukhala nthenda yaikulu yochititsa kubukanso kwa TB. “Ngati sangafe ndi kanthu kena kalikonse choyamba,” akutero Dr. Iseman, “pafupifupi 100 peresenti ya odwala AIDS okhala ndi kachilombo ka TB adzadwala nthendayo.”

Malo. Ndende, malo osungirako nkhalamba, malo okhala anthu osoŵa nyumba, zipatala, ndi malo ena a anthu angakhale malo owanditsira nthenda ya kholodzi. Dr. Marvin Pomerantz akusimba kuti kugwiritsira ntchito kwa chipatala china njira yochiritsira ya mankhwala opopera kunawonjezera kutsokomola kwa odwala chibayo ndipo motero kukumachititsa mliri weniweni wa TB pakati pa ogwira ntchito m’chipatalamo.

Kusoŵa ndalama. Mwamsanga pamene kunaonekera monga ngati kuti nthenda ya kholodzi yaletsedwa, ndalama zake zinatha, ndipo anthu anatembenukira pazinthu zina. “Mmalo mwa kuthetsa TB,” akutero Dr. Lee Reichman, “tinathetsa makonzedwe a kuthetsa nthenda ya kholodzi.” Katswiri wa zinthu zamoyo Patrick Brennan akunena kuti: “Kuchiyambiyambi kwa ma 1960 ndinkafufuza mwakhama kuti ndipeze mankhwala a TB komano ndinasankha kuleka chifukwa chakuti ndinalingalira kuti nthenda ya TB inali itathetsedwa.” Motero, kubweranso kwa nthenda ya kholodzi kunadzidzimutsa madokotala ambiri. “M’mlungu umodzi [m’chilimwe cha 1989],” anatero dokotala wina, “ndinaona nthenda zina zatsopano zinayi zimene mphunzitsi wanga wa zaudokotala anati sindidzazionanso.”

Chindoko—Kubukanso Kwake Kwakupha

Mosasamala kanthu za kugwira ntchito bwino kwa penicillin, chindoko nchofalabe mu Afrika. Mu United States, chikubukanso mwamphamvu pambuyo pa zaka 40. Malinga nkunena kwa The New York Times, chindoko tsopano “chikupusitsa mbadwo wina wa madokotala amene mwina sanaonepo anthu odwala chindoko.” Kodi nchifukwa ninji nthendayi ikubukanso?

Chamba chotchedwa crack. Kumwerekera ndi crack kwasonkhezera zimene dokotala wina akutcha “nyengo zazitali zosalamulirika za kugwiritsira ntchito chamba ndi kugonana.” Pamene kuli kwakuti amuna kaŵirikaŵiri amaba kuti achirikize kumwerekera kwawo, mwachiwonekere akazi amakonda kuchita uhule kuti apeze mankhwala oledzeretsa. “M’nyumba za crack,” akutero Dr. Willard Cates, Jr., wa bungwe la Centers for Disease Control la ku United States, “mumakhala kugonana ndi kukhala ndi ogonana nawo osiyanasiyana. Nthenda iliyonse imene ingakhale yofala m’malo otero ndiija imene imapezedwa mwa kupatsirana.”

Kusoŵa chitetezo. “Mosasamala kanthu za mkupiti wa ‘kugonana kotetezereka,’” ikusimba motero Discover, “achichepere amachitabe ulesi ponena za kugwiritsira ntchito makondomu kuti adzitetezere panthenda.” Kupenda kwina mu United States kunasonyeza kuti 12.6 peresenti yokha ya awo amene ali ndi anzawo ogonana nawo omwe ali pangozi anagwiritsira ntchito makondomu mosalekeza.

Ndalama zochepa. The New York Times ikunena kuti: “Kuchepetsedwa kwa ndalama kwadodometsa zipatala zazing’ono zaboma kumene anthu odwala chindoko ndi nthenda zina zopatsirana mwa kugonana amapimidwako.” Ndiponso, njira zopimira sizili zolondola nthaŵi zonse. M’chipatala china anakubala angapo anabala ana oyambukiridwa ndi nthendayo, pamene kuli kwakuti mwazi wopimidwa poyambapo wa anakubalawo sunasonyeze kuti anali ndi chindoko.

Kodi Mapeto Ake Ali Pafupi?

Nkhondo ya anthu yolimbana ndi matenda yatenga nthaŵi yaitali ndiponso yakhala yogwiritsa mwala. Kaŵirikaŵiri kumenyana ndi matenda ena kumalepheretsedwa chifukwa cha kulephera kugonjetsa ena. Kodi anthu adzangopitiriza nkhondo yosatha imeneyi imene sangapambane? Kodi padzakhaladi dziko lopanda matenda?

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Kuvulaza kwa Chindoko

CHINDOKO chimayambitsidwa ndi kachilombo kotchedwa Treponema pallidum, kampangidwe wa mazinga, ndipo kaŵirikaŵiri kamatengedwa kupyolera m’ziŵalo zogonanira. Pamenepo kachilomboko kamaloŵa m’mwazi ndi kufalikira m’thupi lonse.

Milungu ingapo kuyambukirako kutachitika, nsungu yotchedwa chancre imatuluka. Kaŵirikaŵiri imeneyi imakhala paziŵalo zogonanira komanso ikhoza kutuluka pamilomo, pammero, kapena m’zala. Potsirizira pake, nsunguyo imapola popanda kusiya chipsera. Koma tizilombo take timapitirizabe kufalikira m’thupi lonse kufikira chizindikiro chachiŵiri chitaonekera: mbuko, zilonda pammero, kupweteka mumfundo, kuthothoka kwa tsitsi, kuchita zilonda m’thupi, ndi kutupa maso.

Ngati munthu salandira mankhwala, chindoko chimabisala m’thupi chimene chingakhale kwa moyo wonse wa munthu. Ngati mkazi akhala ndi pakati mkati mwa nthaŵi imeneyi, mwana wake angabadwe wosaona, wopunduka, kapena wakufa.

Zaka makumi ambiri pambuyo pake, ena amafika pamkhalidwe wina wa chindoko, umene kachilomboko kangayende ndi kukakhazikika mumtima, muubongo, m’fupa la msana, kapena kumbali zina za thupi. Ngati kachilomboko kakhala muubongo, munthu angayambe kubwebweta, kupuwala ziŵalo ndipo ngakhale kuchita misala. Potsirizira pake, nthendayo ingamuphe.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Biophoto Associates/Science Source/Photo Researchers

[Bokosi patsamba 7]

“Nthenda Yotsanzira Zina Koposa”

ZIMENEZO nzimene Dr. Lee Reichman akutcha nthenda ya kholodzi. “Ingaonekere monga ngati chimfine, chifuwa, fuluwenza,” iye akutero. “Chotero kusiyapo ngati dokotala akuganiza za TB, iye angalephere kuizindikira.” Kutenga chithunzithunzi cha pachifuwa cha X-ray nkofunika kuti munthu atsimikizire nthendayo.

Nthenda ya kholodzi imapatsidwa kwa munthu wina mumpweya. Munthu atatsokomola angatulutse tinthu timene tili tating’ono tokhoza kuloŵa m’mapapu. Komabe, mphamvu yotetezera ya thupi kaŵirikaŵiri imakhala yamphamvu kuletsa nthendayo kufalikira. Dr. Reichman akufotokoza kuti: “Ndi[awo] okha amene ali ndi tizilombo tambiri m’chifuwa mwawo—tizilombo mamiliyoni 100 mosiyana ndi okhala ndi 10,000 tosakangalika—[amene angathe] kuwanditsa nthendayo.”

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

SPL/Photo Researchers

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Kutentha kwa Mbulunga ndi Malungo

MALUNGO sangakhalepo popanda kuwanditsidwa ndi udzudzu wa Anopheles gambiae. “Chepetsani kuchuluka kwa [tizilomboto] ndipo mudzasintha kubuka kwa nthendayo,” ikutero The Economist.

Zopendedwa m’nyumba zopimira zasonyeza kuti kuwonjezereka kwakung’ono m’tempichala kungayambukire kwambiri tizilombo tochuluka. Motero, akatswiri ena akunena kuti kutentha kwa mbulunga kungakhale ndi chiyambukiro chowopsa pa kubuka kwa malungo. “Ngati tempichala yonse ya Dziko Lapansi iwonjezereka ngakhale ndi digirii imodzi kapena aŵiri a Celsius,” akutero Dr. Wallace Peters, “ikhoza kuchititsa kuwonjezereka kwa madera oswerana udzudzu kotero kuti malungo angakhale ofala kuposa tsopano lino.”

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Dr. Tony Brain/SPL/Photo Researchers

[Zithunzi patsamba 6]

Malo okhala anthu osoŵa nyumba angakhale malo owanditsira nthenda ya kholodzi

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Melchior DiGiacomo