U-“@Bronchigirl” Wase-UKZN Uthole Umklomelo Ohlonishwayo Emhlabeni NgoCwaningo Ngesifo Sesifuba Somoya

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Odume umhlaba wonke ngomsebenzi wakhe wesifo sesifuba somoya ezinganeni, uSolwazi wase-UKZN, uRefiloe Masekela (@bronchigirl), uklonyeliswe ngomklomelo ehlonishwayo wocwaningo lomhlaba woSolwazi wesiKhungo sikaZwelonke seZempilo kanye noKunakekela, i-National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Research Professorship award.

Umklomelo weNIHR okuwuhlelo lokuthuthukisa umsebenzi wocwaningo - obiza ngaphezu kwezigidi enzingama-45 zamarandi esikhathini esiyiminyaka emihlanu - uzoxhasa ucwaningo lokugwema ukuguliswa isifuba somoya ezinganeni zase-Afrika.

UMasekela, ongudokotela osiza izingane ezinenkinga yokuphefumula kanye nenhloko yezeMpilo zeZifo zeZingane kanye neZempilo zeZingane eNyuvesi, ungumcwaningi wokuqala ozinze ezweni labahola kancane noma phakathi nendawo kanye nomuntu wokuqala wesifazane omnyama ukuthola lo mklomelo.

Ucwaningo lwakhe luhlose ukwenza ngcono ukutholakala kokunakekelwa okusheshayo futhi okungambi eqolo lwesifo sesifuba somoya ezinganeni zase-Afrika. ‘Isifo sesifuba somoya sithikameza ingane eyodwa kweziyishumi emhlabeni kanti siyisifo esijwayelekile esinomthelela wesikhathi eside kwezempilo futhi esidinga ukunakekelwa isikhathi eside, inon-communicable disease (NCD) ezinganeni nakubantu abasha,’ kusho uMasekela. Ngebhadi, e-Afrika isifo sesifuba somoya asinakiwe, izingane zinezimpawu ezibucayo sazo. Ukungatholakali ngokwanele kwezinsiza zokuhlonza isifo sesifuba somoya kanye nemishanguzo esezingeni futhi engabizi kuvula isikhala ekunakekelweni kwesifo sesifuba somoya.

Umklomelo uzoxhasa abafundela ubudokotela ekunakekeleni kanye nasekwelapheni kanye nasocwaningweni lwezomnotho wezempilo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwesikhungo sokugcinwa kolwazi ngokulashwa kwezifo zamaphaphu kubantu base-Afrika abahlala kulelizwekazi nakwamanye amazwe, i-Pan African respiratory NCD repository. ‘Ngihlose ukusungula indawo enemishini yokucwaninga ngesifo sesifuba somoya ukuthola iqoqo labantu kanye nobungozi obungaholela kwimiphumela engemihle ebandakanya isifo sesifuba somoya emazweni amathathu ase-Afrika kusetshenziswa izindlela zokugcina ulwazi. Lizophinde lenze ucwaningo oluhlola ukunakekelwa kwanye nokwelashwa kanye nezindlela ezingambi eqolo ezizosiza ukunciphisa ubungozi obungaholela ekushoneni kwabantu kuya ekuphathweni kwesifo sesifuba somoya ezinganeni nakubantu abasha eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso yami enkulu ukuthi zonke izingane kanye nabantu abasha abanesifo sesifuba somoya e-Afrika bafinyelela ngokulinganayo ekunakelelekweni okusebenzayo futhi okungambi eqolo.’ kusho yena.

UMasekela usebambe izikhundla ezehlukene zokuhola ezinhlanganweni zezifo sesifuba kuleli kanye nasemazweni angaphandle kubalwa ukuba iPhini likaSihlalo we-Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS) lapho ingxenye yomsebenzi kungukuqhakambisa izindaba ezithinta ezempilo zamaphaphu e-Afrika kanye nokuhlahla indlela yemigomo emazweni ehlukene ezwenikazi.

UMasekela njengamanje unguMqondisi weNhlangano yeZifo Zofuba eMelika, i-American Thoracic Society (ATS) Methods, emkhakheni wezempilo othinta ulawulwa kwezifo, Epidemiologic, ukwelashwa iClinical kanye nomsebenzi wokucwaninga i-Opearations Research (MECOR) ohlelweni lwase-Afrika nokuwuhlelo lwendlela yokwenza ucwaningo oluholwa inhlangano yezifo zesifuba emazweni ase-Afrika, iPan African Thoracic Society, ihlinzeka ngoqeqesho ngendlela okusetshenzwa ngayo kanye nocwaningo lokwelashwa kwezifo zamaphaphu kusuka kwabasaqeqeshelwa umsebenzi kulo lonke izwekazi lase-Afrika. Useqeqeshe abangu-45 abasuka emazweni angaphezu kwamazwe angu-20.

Uyilungu le-ATS Paediatric Global Health Group, nge-PATS MECOR wasungula uhlelo lokufundisa ngokucwaninga kwabesifazane lwabesifazane base-Afrika.

UMasekela uthe: ‘Lolu cwaningo lomhlaba oluhlonishwayo losolwazi luzonginika ingxathu lokushintsha emsebenzini wami, lungisungule njengomholi womhlaba wezokucwaninga. Njengowesifazane wokuqala omnyama wase-Afrika ukuthola lo mklomelo, ngizizwa ngithobekile futhi ngijabule. Ngihlabeke umxhwele ikakhulu ngoba lo mklomelo woSolwazi uhlanganisa noxhaso lweziqu zePhD ezinhlelwenzi zombili, ezokwelapha kanye nomnotho wezempilo kanye noxhaso lokwelekelela ithimba lethu lonke. Lokhu kusisiza ukuqinisa umthamo wocwaningo engxenyeni ngokomlando ebingenazo izinsiza

Umbhalo: ngu-MaryAnn Francis

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe