Kwango: Illar cobalt ga lafiyar jama'a

Akwai wani dajin hamada kusa da birnin Kipushi na kudancin Kwango Kinshasa. Har a shekarun 1990 akwai wani babban ramin hakar ma'adanin cobalt a wajen wanda baki dayansa ya gurbace inda shekaru da dama babu abin da ke tsirowa. Hatta ruwan kogi a yankin ya gurbace. Likitocin yankin su ba da shaidar cewa ana yawan haifar jarirrai da nakasa.

Ana ci gaba da haihuwar jarirrai da nakasa. A watan Maris kadai a asibitin Charles Lwanga na Kipushi an haifi yara uku da matsalar karancin kokuwar kai da ma ta kwakkwalwa wacce mafiyawancin lokaci jaririn da ya zo da ita na mutuwa ne jim kadan bayan haihuwarsa. "Akwai wani abin da ke tafiya ba daidai ba a nan. Sai dai ba mu da kudin yin bincike" a cewar Dokta Alain likitan mata.

Wata kungiyar masu bincike a fannonin lafiya dabam-dabam ta jami'ar Lubumbashi ta Kwango Kinshasa tare da hadin gwiwar jami'ar Louvain ta Beljiyam na aiki kan tantance alakar da ke da akwai tsakanin aikin hakar ma'adanin cobalt da matsalolin lafiya na jama'a. "Ya kamata a sanar da mutane nau'o'in sinadaren da ke haifar mana da cututtuka" in ji Tony Kayembe memba a kungiyar binciken.

Jarirrai bakwaini guda biyu a cikin na'urar kula da lafiyarsu a asibitin Charles Lwange ta Kipushi. "A namu tunani karuwar adadin jarirrai bakwaini a yankin na da alaka da gubar da ma'adanai irin su cobalt ke fitarwa a cewar Tony Kayembe, mai aikin bincike a jami'ar Lubumbashi kana memba a kungiyar bincike ta kasa da kasa. Mafiyawan mutanen Kipushi na aiki ne a cibiyar hakar ma'adanin cobalt.

Adele Masengo tare da yaransa biyar da majinta wanda ke aiki a cibiyar hakar ma'adanin cobalt. Babbar diyarsa ta makance tana 'yar shekaru 12, wani jaririnsu ya koma bayan haifuwarsa, wani jaririn sun haife shi da nakasa, kana Adele ta yi barin ciki. Ba ta san ko ma'adanin cobalt ba ne ya haddasa hakan. "Da na haifi yarana an yi masu gwajin jini, amma ba a taba nuna mana sakamakon gwajin ba."

Wani mai aikin hakar cobalt rike da ma'adanin a hannayensa. Kwango Kinshasa na samar da kaso 66 daga cikin 100 na cobalt a duniya. Ana amfani da shi wajen kera batiran karfen Lithium. Bukatar da ake da ita wannan ma'adani ta sa farashinsa ya nunka so uku a shekaru biyu na bayan nan. Yara da mata da maza da ke aikin hakarsa na mu'amala da sinadaran guba masu hadarin gaske.

Gecamines shi ne kamfanin hakar ma'adanai mafi girma a Kwango Kinshasa. Cibiyarsa na a Lubumbashi birnin na biyu mafi girma a kasar da ke a tsakiyar kandagarkin "Ceinture de Cuivre". A nan kusa da kan iyaka da Zambiya akwai kamfanonin kasa da kasa da dama. Kowace shekara ana hako ton dubu biyar na cobalt. Tudun da kake tsinkaya a tsakiyar birnin na sharar cibiyoyin ma'adanai ne.

Ma'aikata na laluban cobalt da sauran ma'adanai a wani gurbataccen tafki. Ita ce hanyar samun kudin shiga ga mafi akasarinsu. "Kusan mun daina amfani da wannan ruwa a nan" in ji wata mazauniyar wurin. "Ruwan na haddasa kwalkwali a fatar jikinmu. Idan na wanke tufafi da ruwan, tufafin na yayyagewa. Hatta dankalin Turawanmu dandanonsa ya canza."

Mutane sun zo sun kafa wata unguwa kusa da kamfanin"Congo Dongfang Mining" (CDM) na kasar Chaina daya daga cikin kamfanonin da suka fi sayen ma'adanin cobalt ga Kwango Kinshasa. Idan ana ruwan sama sukan gangarawa ne a cikin unguwar. Mazaunan unguwar na kokawa da matsaloli na fatar jiki da kuma na nunfashi. Sun nemi bahasi daga kamfanin na CDM ba tare da samun wata amsa ba.

Wani likitan ido na binciken idon wani marasa lafiya a asibitin jami'ar Lubumbashi. Akasarin ma'aikatan da ke hakar ma'adanai a Kwango Kinshasa na aiki ne ba tare da saka tufafin kariya ba. Baya ga cobalt ko bakin karfe ko karfen nickel, ma'adanan na a wasu lokuta kunshe da uranium. Kazalika mazauna yankin na cutuwa daga kurar da iska ke bazawa.