NAC: Liyehla Inani Labantwana Elithelelwa Igcikwane Lengculaza Ekubelethweni
Ukwehla kwenani labantwana elizalwa lilegcikwane kubikwa kungenxa yohlelo lokuhlolwa kukamama ezithwele ukuze anikwe imithi evikela ukuthelela umntanakhe igcikwane
BULAWAYO — Inhlanganiso ebona ngokulwisana lomkhuhlane wengculaza kuleli eye National AIDS Council, ithi selehlile inani labantwana elizalwa lilomkhuhlane wengculaza ngenxa yokuqakathekiswa kohlelo lokuthi wonke owesifazana ozithweleyo ahlolwe igcikwane lengculaza njalo aphiwe imithi yokuvikela ukuthelela ingane nxa efunyenwe elalo. Inhlanganiso le ithi liqhubeka lisehla inani labantwana elizalwa lilegcikwane ngenxa yohlelo lokukhuthaza ukuhlolwa kukamama lapho ezithwele ukuze anikwe imithi evikela ukuthelela umntanakhe leligcikwane ekubeletheni. Imbiko ekhitshwe yinhlanganiso le ithi abantwana abangaphansi kweminyaka elitshumi lane abaphila laleligcikwane bafika phose amakhulu amabili enkulungwane – 167 430 kuthi abangaphezu kwekhulu lenkulungwane – 121 111 badinga imithi yama ARVs. Kunani labantwana elifa lingaphansi kweminyaka emihlanu, amatshumi amabili lanye ekhulwini – 21% libulawa ngumkhuhlane wengculaza. Uhulumende wakuleli uqhubekela phambli ngemizamo yokuthi abaphila legcikwane benelise ukuphila impilo elesithunzi njalo egcweleyo ngokubapha imithi efaneleyo ngesikhathi. Lanxa nje abesifazana bakuleli bebevele bethola amaARVs nxa kuthe kwatholakala ukuthi balegcikwane lengculaza lapho bezithwele ukuze bangatheleli ingane bebethi bangabeletha nxa amasotsha omzimba esesemanengi egazini bakhutshwe kuhlelo lolu. UNkosikazi Progress Dube ongumongikazi uthi lokhu kulengozi yokuthi owesifazana athi nxa esedinga ukuthi aqale loluhlelo nxa i-CD4 isiyehlile kutholakale amaphilisi la engasasebenzi ngenxa yokuthi eke wawanatha wasewayekela ngemva kokubeletha. Uthi ngenxa yalokhu abesifazana abanengi besebethandabuza ukunatha amaphilisi la nxa bezithwele ngoba bezawayekeliswa nxa sebebelethile. Kulandela lokhu, uhulumende sowaletha uhlelo olutsha oluthiwa yi Option B plus lapho wonke owesifazana ozithweleyo aqala iART aqhubeke ngayo lalapho esebelethile kungakhathalekile ukuthi inani lamasotsha omzimba linganani. UNkosikazi Dube uthi lokhu linyathelo elihle kakhulu ngoba kuqala besekungathi kuqakathekiswa impilo yensane ukwedlula eyabomama eyayifakwa engozini ngokubaqalisisa iART lapho bezithwele besebesekeliswa ngemva kokubeletha. UNkosikazi Sindiso Moyo, osebenza labantwana abalegcikwane, uthi inengi labantwana elifa ngenxa yengculaza kungenxa yabazali abangaphi imvumo yokuze abantwana bahlolisiswe. Uthi imithetho ethi isibhedlela singahloli abantwana igcikwane ngaphandle kwemvumo yabazali ihlukuluza abantwana abangelawo amandla okuzenzela izinqumo ngempilakahle yabo. Uqhubeke esithi ukuguqulwa kwemithetho ludaba okumele uzulu akhulumisane ngalo abonisane ukuze imithetho ivikele u wonke. UNkosikazi Getrude Matobo osebenza lentandane, uthi izihlobo ezinengi azithandi ukuthi abantwana bayehlolwa igazi okwenza baphile nzima lanxa imithi iyabe ikhona ezibhedlela. Uthi imithi yabantwana ihlezi isala ingasetshenziswanga inhlanganiso ezinjenge NAC zize zinike amanye amazwe anjenge Botswana le Mozambique lapho okulenani labantwana elithe xaxa elihlolwa igcikwane lengculaza. Uthi kudingeka imikhankaso yokuhlolwa kwabantwana igazi ngoba kungasizi ukwelapha abadala kuphela abantwana bephela. UMnumzana Melusi Mangena, ongumbalisi uthi ukuze igcikwane lengculaza liphele kumele kukhulunyiswane labasakhulayo okuyibo ikusasa yelizwe. Uthi abantwana abalegcikwane kumele bakhuthazwe ukuphumela egcekeni ngesimo sabo, bangabandlululwa ngoba lokhu kwenza igcikwane limemetheke lula. Uthi okuqakathekileyo yikuthi abantwana bakhule besazi ukuthi kumele bayehlolwa igcikwane bengakayi emacansini kungakhathalekile ukuthi abaya alaye emacansini ngumuntu onganani. Lanxa nje inani labantu abalegcikwane lisiya lisehla elizweni, inengi labantwana lilokhu lisabhekane lokulahlekelwa ngabazali lokuswela obenzela izinqumo ezivikela amalungelo abo kwezempilakahle esikhathini lapho abazalwa legcikwane sebesiba ngabantu abadala okumele benze izinqumo ngempilo zabo kanye lokuqala imuli.