Umfundi Ovakashile Osanda Kuthola Iziqu Zobudokotela Uhlabane Ngendondo ye-Rare Diamond Advocacy

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Umfundi ovakashile osanda kuthola iziqu zobudokotela eSikoleni SezoKwelapha e-UKZN, uDkt Helen Malherbe, ungowokuqala ngqa ukuwina i-Rare Diamond Award for Advocacy yokufundisa ngezifo ezingajwayelekile eNingizimu Afrika.

U-Malherbe uklonyeliswe ngendondo yakhe umsunguli noMphathi Omkhulu wenhlangano i-Rare Diseases South Africa, uNkk Kelly du Plessis.

Umcimbi wezindondo i-The Rare Diamond Awards wasungulwa ukuze kuhlonishwe ubunyoninco ekuthuthukisweni kwezokunakekelwa ngokwezempilo jikelele, ukwelashwa kanye nokwesekwa okuhlinzekwa yilabo abasebenza futhi abanomthelela omuhle emphakathini wabanezifo ezingajwayelekile eNingizimu Afrika. Kuze kube manje, ayikho indondo efana nalena emkhakheni wezokunakekela ngokwezempilo. Iziphakamiso ziqale ukwamukelwa ziqhamuka ezigulini ezinhlobonhlobo, abanakekeli, osozimboni abakulomkhakha kanye nabanakekeli ngokwezempilo ezigabeni eziyisithupha ezihlukene.

Isigaba se-Rare Diamond in Advocacy sihlonipha abantu abakhombisa ukuzinikela okukhulu ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi izidingo zeziguli ezinezifo ezingajwayelekile zihlala ziseqhulwini kanye futhi nokusebenzela ukwakhiwa kwezinqubomgomo ezisabalalisa ukunakekelwa ngokwezempilo ukuze kulekelele iziguli, okuphetha kuyizwi leziguli.

U-Malherbe uthole indondo ehlonipha ukuzinikela kwakhe ngokusebenzisana ne-NPO i-Genetic Alliance South Africa okusekelwe ucwaningo lwakhe lweziqu zesibili zobudokotela e-UKZN. Ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile ophenyweni olubheke isidingo sosizo lokunakekela nokuvikela izifo ezingama-congenital disorders (CDs) eNingizimu Afrika. Izihloko ezibalulekile zethesisi yakhe yeziqu ze-PhD, eyamukelwa ngo elethu abavivinyi ngaphandle kokulungiswa, zihlanganisa i-epidemiological transition, uhlaka olusebenzayo lwezidingo zolibofuzo, nomthelela wama-CD ekushoneni kwezingane neqhaza labahlengikazi.

Imininingo ehleliwe yakhiqizwa eNingizimu Afrika kusetshenziswa inqolobanemininingo i-Modell Global Database of Birth Defects ukuze kuqagulwe futhi kuklanywe umthamo wezwe wabanama-CDs – futhi lo msebenzi uyaqhubeka njengengxenye yezifundo zeziqu zakhe zesibili zobudokotela lapho esebenzisana ne-University College e-London.

Umeluleki wakhe, uSolwazi Colleen Aldous, uphawule wathi: ‘U-Helen uhole ukwethulwa kabusha kwe-Genetic Alliance South Africa (GA-SA) kuNcwaba 2015 ngenhloso yokuhlanganisa umkhakha wezifo ezingajwayelekile – okuthe noma kunezinhlobonhlobo zezifo - ezibhekana nezinselelo ezifanayo ekufinyeleleni ezinsizeni ezidingekayo nokuzama ukuzuzela amalungu okufanayo. Ukwabelana ngalo mbono, onesisekelo sendlelakwenza enamandla esuselwe ebufakazini, kulekelela lo mphakathi okhishwa inyumbazana ukuthi usebenzisane futhi uthole nokwesekwa okungcono. Intshisekelo ka-Helen mayelana nalezi zifo yaqala emva kokushona kuka-Madeleine, owashona ngenxa ye-Trisomy 18 (Edward’s syndrome),’ kusho u-Aldous.

U-Malherbe ubethokoze kakhulu ngokuzuza indondo, ‘Ukusebenza kulo mphakathi kube nomthelela omkhulu empilweni yami. Ngokuhlanganisa izifundo zami neqhaza lami le- GA-SA kakhulu ngomuso, ngithemba ukuthi lo msebenzi uzoqhubeka ufinyelele ezingeni elilandelayo. Ngakho ke, ikusasa lisiphathele umsebenzi omningi, onzima!’

Amagama: ngu-MaryAnn Francis