Uhulumende weZimbabwe ugqibe ihlandla lesine lohlelo lokunika abantwana umuthi wokwenqabela umkhuhlane weBilharzia kanye lowokubulala ama worms esiswini oqhutshwe ezikolweni zezigaba zonke zelizwe.
Ugatsha lwezempilakahle ngeviki ephelileyo lugqibe umkhankaso wokunika abantwana abaleminyaka emihlanu kusiya kutshumi lanhlanu umuthi owokuvikela kumkhuhlane we bilharzia labalomnyaka owodwa kusiya kutshumi lanhlanu owokuqeda ama intestinal worms.
Uhlelo lolu oluqale phakathi kukaNtulikazi, lukhanya solujayelwe ngabazali lanxa abanye lokhu bekhonona ukuthi abachasiselwa ngesikhathi ukuthi abantwababo bazathola imithi ezikolo.
Okhangela ukulwisana lemikhuhlane ethelelwanayo kugatsha lwezempilakahle, uDokotela Portia Manangazira, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi abazali baqaphele nxa kusenziwa imikhankaso enje ukuze abantwababo bangasali phandle lapho abanye bethola imithi yokuvikela imikhuhlane ethile.
"Umuthi lo awuphongulahlelwa ngapha ngenxa yokuthi uza ebantwini abaswelayo. Ungumuthi olungele ukusebenza. Kulezimiso emhlabeni wonke jikelele ezitsho ukuthi nxa unika abantu imithi awubaniki ongalunganga ngoba beswela. Njengogatsha lwezempilakahle siyakhangela isimo semithi esiyinikwayo ngoba abantu bakuleli badinga ukuphathwa ngendlela enhle ngazikhathi zonke.
Isakhamuzi, uNkosikazi Precious Mathe, ngomunye walabo ababengazwisisi lapho uhlelo lolu luqala ukuthi kanti bavele benziwani abantwababo ezikolo abazali bengakwazi. Lo ngumnyaka wesine umntanakhe ethola lumuthi kungakho uthi sebonile ukuthi hatshi awubulali lanxa nje kwakulokwethuselana lapho uqala abantu besithi awulungelanga abantwana.
Esinye njalo isakhamuzi, uMnumzana Evan Mahlangu, uthi lanxa abazali sebezwisisa ukuthi uhulumende ulemikhankaso enje, kuqakathekile ukuthi batshelwe njengabazali kuseselesikhathi ukuthi bengethuki lapho abantwana bevela ezikolo bebika ukuthi banikwe imithi inengi elingazi lokuyichasisa.
UNkosikazi Emily Ndlovu, ngumzali wabantwana ababili abathole lumuthi ngeviki ephelileyo. Ethi akumangalisi ukuthi uhlelo lolu lwathi luqala abazali behlalele evalweni ngenxa yokunengi okubi ababekuzwa njalo bekubala ebulenjini ngalumkhuhlane eyayisithi nxa umntwana elodubo lwezinso kumbe isibindi angatholi amaphilisi la lona inengi labazali labantwana lingazi ukuthi lingabe lilayo limikhuhlane.
Obephatheke ekunikeni abantwana lumuthi, umongikazi, uNkosikazi Mercy Nyabadza, uthi kuqakathekile ngalesisikhathi izulu lingakaqali ukuna ukuthi abantwana bathole umuthi lo ngoba umkhuhlane wama intestinal worms uvele uluhlupho. Ekhuthaza abazali ukuthi basukumele phezulu lapho kulenhlelo zokunika abantwana imithi hatshi ukutshela abantwana ukuthi banganathi imithi abayiphiwa ezikolo.
Lumkhankaso oqale ngomnyaka ka 2010 ukhangelelwe ukwenziwa amahlandla amahlanu anduba uphele. Ugatsha lwezempilakahle liwuqhuba limanyene lenhlanganiso ezibalisa i- UNICEF le World Health Organisation.
Ngaphandle kwalimikhuhlane, ugatsha lwezempilakahle luvame ukuphatha imikhankaso yemikhuhlane yendingindi kanye le polio ebantwaneni.
