Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, writes on the dilemma of the albinos who have become endangered species in most African countries.
Reports reaching TheNiche have it that people with albinism living in Malawi have been the victims of a surge of attacks by those seeking to use their body parts in ritual practices.
According to an Amnesty International report released on Tuesday, June 7, at least 18 albinos have been killed since November 2014. A spike in the killings came this April, when four people, including a two-year-old, were killed.
International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is a yearly United Nations observance on June 13. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. The date was chosen because on that day in 2013, the UN adopted its first resolution on albinism.
It was proclaimed by the UN to spread information about albinism and to avoid mobbing and discrimination of albinos. The IAAD aims to increase the global attention to rights of the albinos.
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterised by the partial or complete absence of the pigment melanin in the skin, hair and eyes. Lack or absence of melanin in the skin makes albinos more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancers. Albinism is also associated with visual problems, namely photophobia, amblyopia (lazy eye), nystagmus and others.
Albinos in other African countries
People with albinism often face social challenges, as their condition is often a cause of discrimination, ridicule and even sometimes fear and violence. In some African countries such as Malawi, Burundi and Tanzania, many people with albinism have become murder victims in recent years.
IAAD focuses on raising public awareness of albinism and preventing attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism. All UN member states, as well as international and local organisations and civil society are encouraged to participate in appropriate events and activities.
According to reports, a UN expert, Ikponwosa Ero, had warned that in Malawi, an estimated 10,000 albinos face “systematic extinction” if they continue to be murdered for their body parts for use in witchcraft.
Ero, who is a Nigerian albino and UN human rights council’s expert on albinism, told journalists at the end of her 12-day assessment in Malawi that the situation “constitutes an emergency, a crisis disturbing in its proportions”.
Her call for action came as a court in Malawi sentenced two men 17 years for murdering a 21-year-old lady with albinism. The two had pleaded guilty of the offence but blamed their action on “Satan”.
Ero said the Malawian police had recorded 65 attacks, abductions and murders of albinos since the end of 2014. Albinos were targeted because of beliefs that their body parts “can increase wealth, make businesses prosper or facilitate employment”, she said. “Even in death, they do not rest in peace as their remains are robbed from graveyards.
“Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, and the sale of body parts of persons with albinism is believed to be very lucrative.
“Albinos are an endangered group facing a risk of systematic extinction over time if nothing is done to stem the tide of atrocities.”
According to her, “It requires an emergency response from government, civil society and development partners working in strong partnership” to stop the crime of killing albinos.
In Nigeria…
Albinos in Nigeria are optimistic of overcoming the age-long stigma on them because of their skin colour.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Albino Foundation (TAF), Jake Epelle, believes that Nigerians with albinism are on the verge of overcoming the age-long social stigma and discrimination, expressing his gratitude to the advocacy efforts of the UN and of his organisation which works to empower persons with albinism and educate the society on albinism-related issues in Nigeria and the world.
TAF urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, reinstate the treatment process it started in 2007, to help prevent skin cancers among persons with albinism in the country.
Epelle noted that without the programme, an average of three Nigerians with albinism will die every month from skin cancer.
Interacting with newsmen in Abuja, Epelle said: “We started a project in 2007 with the federal government which is the skin cancer prevention and treatment project.
“The (Olusegun) Obasanjo administration adopted that project. So far, about 2,520 patients we have referred to the National Hospital have been treated. That project has been ongoing until the current administration. I got a firm promise from the current administration that it will continue.
“However, the management of the National Hospital discontinued that project abruptly. Since then, we have been trying to talk with them without interface with the presidency. I have a letter from the Office of the Vice President saying they will get back to us and continue this programme.”
Advocacy
Human rights groups have continued to intercede in favour of the albinos. Network of People Living with Albinism, urged the federal government to create laws that will protect the fundamental human rights of people living with albinism.
The group, which walked the streets of Abuja last weekend to create public awareness about the need to protect albinos’ rights, decried the continued discrimination against people living with albinism.
It recognises the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of albinism to fight global discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism.
Noting that discrimination against albinos in Nigeria is not serious compared to other African countries, the network urged the government to take proactive steps towards protecting the albinos’ rights and make treatment of people living with albinism free across the country.
Chief Executice Officer of Golden Effects Limited, Segun Akintunde, told TheNiche that albinism is genetic disorder which has psychological, physical effects and health factors such as congenital sight issues because they are different from the rest of African blacks.
Akintunde said the way the society relates with the albino either helps their psyche or diminishes their morale.
He posited that, for the albino, getting good education is hard.
“It is difficult to cope in the classroom. You cannot see clearly, and when you are moved to the front, it is not even better, and the school authority cannot understand what the young man (or woman) is going through.”
He expressed the need for good educational system, to understand the albinos’ problem and help them get along.
Decrying the attitude of some people who make jest of albinos, he appealed that they should be seen as normal human beings and not creatures from Mars.
According to Akintunde, who is also an albino, some people do not get it right.
“They do not associate because of what they have been. I am an albino and I enjoy being an albino. It is the act of God to break that monopoly of black,” he said.
How govt can help
He appealed to government to come to their aid.
“If government can listen to some of the requests by enlightening people more to understand the albino, to see and know more about albinism, (produce) documentaries, and organise awareness programmes that will help people’s perception of albinos, then albinos will have sense of belonging and not seen as animals for rituals or money-making,” said he.
“Let them be in public schools and let people who know about albinos help them.”
