Lapho Uhlala khona Izindaba

Kwami okuthunyelwe kwebhulogi lokugcina Ngikhulume ngezigaba ezinhlanu zeSocial Determinants of Health (SDoH) ezikhonjwe ngu Abantu Abaphilile 2030. Yilezi: 1) izindawo zethu nezindawo zethu ezakhiwe, 2) ukunakekelwa kwezempilo nezempilo, 3) isimo senhlalo nomphakathi, i-4) imfundo, ne-5) ukuzinza kwezomnotho.¹ Namuhla ngifuna ukukhuluma ngezindawo zethu nezindawo zethu ezakhiwe, kanye nemithelela - emihle nemibi - engaba nayo emiphumeleni yethu yezempilo.¹

Ngokusho kweCenters for Disease Control (CDC), indawo eyakhiwe ifaka phakathi “zonke izingxenye zomzimba lapho sihlala khona futhi sisebenza khona.” Lokhu kufaka izinto ezifana nezindlu, imigwaqo, amapaki nezinye izindawo ezivulekile (noma ukungabi bikho kwazo), nengqalasizinda.² Cabanga ukuthi uhlala kuphi njengamanje - ingabe indawo yakini inezindlela zomgwaqo noma indlela yebhayisikili? Ingabe kukhona ipaki noma inkundla yokudlala eduze? Ingabe umoya uvame ukungcoliswa ngenxa yokwakhiwa okuseduze? Usondele kangakanani emgwaqeni omkhulu, noma esitolo? Uzoshayela ibanga elingakanani ukuze ukhuphuke intaba?

Ukuthi uhlala kuphi, nokuthi yini ekuzungezile, kubalulekile. Ngokomlando, amaqembu amancane abesengozini enkulu yokuhlala ezindaweni ezazincishwe amathuba ngenxa "yobandlululo lomlando emikhubeni yezindlu" futhi ahlupheka ngakho.^3,4 Ngokusho kweRobert Wood Johnson Foundation, “ukwehluka komakhelwane kungadala futhi kuqinise ukungabi bikho kwezenhlalo okufaka isandla ekuhlukaneni kwezempilo ngokuya ngokwezomnotho, ubuhlanga noma ubuhlanga, kunikezwe ukufinyelela okungalingani kwezinsiza kanye nokuchayeka ezimweni eziyingozi empilweni.”⁴

Thatha isibonelo, i-Elyria Swansea, enye yendawo endala kunazo zonke yaseDenver esendaweni eyakhiwe kakhulu edolobheni; kubhekwe ngabathile ukutholakala kumakhodi we-zip angcoliswe kakhulu esizweni. Ngokuya ngocwaningo lwango-2017 olwenziwe yi-ATTOM Data Solutions, i-zip code engu-80216 ibekwe ezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu ku- “10 inani eliphelele kakhulu le-Environmental Hazard Housing Risk Index.⁵ Kuyikhaya lePurina Dog Chow Plant, iSuncor Oil Refinery, amasayithi amabili we-superfund, kanye nephrojekthi yokwandiswa kwe-I-70 eqhubekayo njengamanje, konke lokhu okufaka isandla ezimeni zokuphila ezimbi endaweni.^6,7

Ukuhlolwa Komthelela Wezempilo ka-2014 kutholakale ukuthi ukukhathazeka okuphezulu kwezempilo okuthinta abahlali base-Elyria Swansea yilezi: ikhwalithi yezemvelo, ukuxhumana nokuhamba, ukufinyelela kwempahla nezinsizakalo, ukuphepha komphakathi, kanye nempilo yengqondo.⁸ Iphinde yathola ukuthi abahlali, ikakhulukazi abaseSpanishi, "banezifo eziphakeme kakhulu zezifo zenhliziyo, isifo sikashukela, ukukhuluphala ngokweqile nesifuba somoya eDolobheni."⁷ Elyria Swansea, isilinganiso sezibhedlela zesifuba somoya sasiyi-1,113.12 kubantu abayi-100,000.⁹ Manje qhathanisa lokho nendawo ecebile futhi engcono efana neWashington Park West, izakhamuzi zayo ezingathintwa yimigwaqo emikhulu, ukwakhiwa okungaguquki, nokungcola kwemvelo. Amanani ezibhedlela zesifuba somoya kule ngxenye yeDenver ayengaphansi kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine yezinga e-Elyria Swansea; umehluko uyethusa.⁹

Ziningi izinto ezidlala empilweni yethu yonke, futhi lapho sihlala khona kukhulu kakhulu. Ukuhlonyiswa ngalolu lwazi kubalulekile ekufezeni ukungenelela okuhlosiwe nokusebenzayo nokuqinisekisa ukuthi amalungu ethu athola izinsizakusebenza ezifanele nokuxhaswa.

Okubhekwayo

1. Mayelana Nabantu Abaphilile 2030 - Abantu Abaphilile 2030 | ezempilo.gov

2. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/factsheets/impactofthebuiltenvironmentonhealth.pdf

3. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-nature-deprived-neighborhoods-impact-health-people-of-color

4. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2011/05/neighborhoods-and-health-.html#:~:text=Depending%20on%20where%20we%20live,places%20to%20exercise%20or%20play.

5. https://www.attomdata.com/news/risk/2017-environmental-hazard-housing-risk-index/

6. https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2019/08/09/elyria-swansea-i-70-construction-health-impacts/

7. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/06/30/asthma-elyria-swansea-i-70-project/

8.https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/746/documents/HIA/HIA%20Composite%20Report_9-18-14.pdf

9. https://www.pressmask.com/2019/06/30/asthma-in-denver-search-rates-by-neighborhood/