Ugatsha lwezempilakahle luthi uhlelo lokwenqabela umkhuhlane wesihudo ebantwaneni abaleminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu obangelwa ligcikwane elibizwa ngokuthi yiRota Virus soluqale ukuthela izithelo zokwehlisa inani labantwana ebelibulawa ngumkhuhlane lo ikakhulu ngesikhathi sezulu.
Abezempilakahle bathi inani labantwana elihlaselwa ligcikwane leli selehlile elizweni livela kumatshumi ayisikhombisa ekhulwini – 70% abantwana bonke ababa lesihudo lisiya kumatshumi amathathu lanhlanu ekhulwini – 35%.
Irotavirus vaccine le yaqala ukunikwa abantwana elizweni ngenyanga kaNhlangula ngomnyaka ophelileyo ngemva kokuthi ukucubungula imbangela yemfa ebantwaneni eHarare Central Hospital iveze ukuthi insane ezinengi zibulawa yisihudo esibangelwa ligcikwane leli.
Umuthi lo uthontiselwa emlonyeni wensane ezilamaviki ayisithupha uphindwe njalo lapho usane lufikisa amaviki alitshumi.
Lanxa nje uhlangothi lwezempilakahle lulenkinga yokusilela kwemithi, ukuhlatshwa kwabantwana lokuthola kwabo imithi ngaphansi kohlelo lwe immunisation luqhutshwa ngendlela kulandela usekelo lwenhlanganiso ezifana le United Nations Children’s Fund le Global Alliance for Vaccines International.
Osebenza kuhlangothi lwempilakahle kazulu ipublic health, uNkosikazi Sindisiwe Dube, uthi eminyakeni edluleyo ilizwe belibhekane lodubo lwabantwana abanengi ababulawa yisihudo kwaze kwaqalwa uhlelo lokuthi kucutshungulwe imbangela yalumkhuhlane esibhedlela seHarare Central.
Inhlolisiso yaveza ke ukuthi leligcikwane eselamemetheka elizweni belihlasela insane okwenza uhulumende athathe inyathelo lokuletha uhlelo lokunika abantwana umuthi ukuze bavikeleke ngoba lokhu kungcono kulokuwelapha umkhuhlane usungenile.
Umongikazi Prisca Moyo, uthi minengi imihlobo yesihudo eminye engelangozi kakhulu kodwa akumelanga abazali bagcine abantwana kodwa lapho ethe waqala ukugijima ahle amuse esibhedlela ngoba igcikwane leli alingeke libonakale ngamehlo kodwa ngemva kokuhlolisiswa esibhedlela.
Wonke umntwana ohlanzayo, ogijimayo njalo otshisayo, uthi kumele asiwe esibhedlela.
UNkosikazi Bianca Marumo, ongumzali, uthi kuhle ukuthi abantwana sebevikelwa kumikhuhlane eminengi kodwa kuyadingeka ukuthi abazali babeyazi limikhuhlane bahlale beqaphele.
Wengeze esithi abezempilakahle lamhla abasafani labakudala ababechasisela omama imikhuhlane abantwababo abavikelwa kiyo kodwa khathesi bayabahlaba nje bengakhulumi lutho angani zinkomo zisedibheni.
UNkosikazi Nonjabulo Mahlangu usebenza kunhlanganiso ye Community Working Group on Health. Uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi abazali bafundiswe lapho kusiba lomuthi omutsha onikwa abantwana.
Lapho abantu kukhulunyiswane labo, uthi baphanga baphatheke ikakhulu nxa kuzinhlelo zokuvikela abantwana emikhuhlaneni ezivele zijwayelekile lokhu ilizwe lathola uzibuse. Uthi basebenzelana lamakhomithi ezakhamizi ukuzitshela ngenhlelo ezintsha zabantwana kanye labomama abazithweleyo.
IZimbabwe ihlezi iqakathekisa ukuvikela abantwana kumikhuhlane etshiyeneyo kusukela ilizwe lithola uzibuse.
UMnumzana Bhekimpilo Nyathi, oyisakhamuzi, uthi kuvamile ukuthi uhulumende alethe inguquko kwezempilakahle kodwa kuyadingeka ukuthi akhulumisane labantu ngokwenzakalayo hatshi ukuthi kuthiwe lethani abantwana kungelamfundiso ngomkhuhlane odinga ukwenqatshelwa. uthi bona babesazi imikhuhlane emihlanu eyayivikelwa ebantwaneni kodwa khathesi sebehlatshwa nje abantwana abazali bengazi ukuthi bahlatshwani.
UNkosikazi Dube uqhubeke esithi ngenxa yokunika abantwana umuthi lo, sebaguqula amabanga lapho abantwana abanikwa khona imithi yokuvikela.
Uthi kudala babehlaba abantwana lapho bezalwa bebavikela kumkhuhlane wofuba, besebelandela ngokuvikela umkhuhlane wobugoga lokunye, khathesi sebelandela kumaviki ayisithupha lalitshumi njalo sebevikela imikhuhlane engaphezu kwetshumi ebantwaneni.
Kudala ilizwe lalivikela imikhuhlane emihlanu kuphela ufuba, ubugoga, indingindi, uphepha oludonsayo lamaketane.
Emhlabeni wonke jikelele abantwana abayingxenye yesigidi – 500 000 babulawa ngumkhuhlane we rotavirus. Kusukela emnyakeni ka 2010, abantwana kuleli sebevikelwa njalo kumikhuhlane yesihlabo ipneumonia, owesibindi ihepatitis B kanye leminingitis. Phezu kwalokhu, bonke omama abazithweleyo bayacetshiswa ukuthi bahlolwe umkhuhlane wengculaza nxa betholakale belawo, kuvikelwe umntwana ukuze angaze awuthelelwa.