Arthur Greene
Lolu usuku oluzongena emlandweni womkhakha wezokwelapha, njengoba inhlangano ye-Word Health Organisation (i-WHO) ivumele umjovo wokuqala wokugomela umalaleveva, beqedela ucwaningo olwasungulwa ngonyaka wezi-1907.
Eminyakeni ezayo, umjovo wokugomela umalaleveva uzokhishwa ngezigidi unikezwa abantwana base-Afrika, ngoba bathwala umthwalo wesifo esihlasela iningi labo.
UDr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ongumphathi wenhlangano i-WHO, uthe: “namhlanje yilona usuku. Oluzoba umlando. Namhlanje inhlangano i-WHO ivumele umjovo wokuqala emhlabeni wonke wokugomela umalaleveva.”
Uphinde wathi lo mjovo uzosindisa izimpilo zabantwana cishe abayizinkulungwane njalo ngonyaka.
Umjovo wokugomela umalaleveva abawubiza nge-Mosquirix waqalwa i-British drugmaker i-Glaxosmithkline (GSK). Futhi usuke wazanywa ezinganeni eziyi-800, 000 ezweni lase-Ghana, i-Kenya kanye ne-Malawi ngonyaka wezi-2019.
Imizamo esiqalile, kutholakale ukuthi umjovo awunawo umthelela omubi kwezinye izindlela zokulwa nomalaleveva.
Ucwaningo lukhombise ukuthi umjovo usuvikele cishe amaphesenti angama-30 abantu.
Ngonyaka wezi-2019, bayizi-409,000 abantu abashona ngenxa yesifo sikamalaleveva, kanti babalelwa kumaphesenti angama-95 abaphuma e-Afrika.
Abantu abathola kakhulu lesi sifo izingane ezisencane ezineminyaka engaphansi kweyisihlanu. Lesi sifo sibulala ingane eyodwa njalo ngemizuzu emibili.
Izizwe ezinabantu abaphethwe kakhulu ilesi sifo i-Nigeria, i-The Democratic Republic of Congo, i-Tanzania kanye ne-Burkina Faso.
Awukho kakhulu umalaleveva eNingizimu Afrika, lapho okuba khona abantu cishe abayizi-10,000 kuya kwabayizi-30,000 abaphathwa umalaleveva ngonyaka.
Lesi sifo sijwayele ukudlulela ngesikhathi kukhona abeqa umngcele njengase-Limpopo, iMpumalanga kanye naKwaZulu-Natali.
I-WHO ithe iyasaba ngoba i-Covid-19 iwuphazamisile umhlaba – ikakhulukazi emazweni ase-Afrika – abhekene nomalaleveva. Lolu bhubhane luphazamise izinsiza ebezibekiwe ukusiza nokulapha umalaleveva.
Njengamanje, noma kunjalo, sekunethemba elisha elizosiza ekulweni nesifo sikamalaleveva.
Umjovo obizwa nge-Mosquirix uzonikezwa izingane, ingane ngayinye izothatha imigomo emine kusukela ezinganeni ezinezinyanga ezinhlanu.
Umthombo wesithombe: @nytimes