As the global community marks June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD), albinos have cried out against discrimination meted out on them. About one in every 20,000 people in the world are born with oculocutaneous albinism, caused by a lack of the pigment melanin, which gives hair, skin and eyes their colours.
In Nigeria, the day was marked with workshop and road walk organised in Abuja by the President of Albinism Foundation, Jake Epelle.
While marking the day, The Albino Foundation (TAF) appealed to the federal government to implement free education programmes for persons living with albinism in the country as was done in faraway Malawi.
Speaking on behalf of the members of the foundation, Epelle said such policy would encourage albinos to get qualitative education, which would enable them maximise their potential. He further appealed to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to continue the free skin cancer treatment for persons living with albinism in all teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
The foundation further urged the government to include programmes, policies and projects that would be beneficial to, and create awareness on the rights of, albinos.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Epelle said June 13 was set aside by the UN to create awareness on the rights of persons with albinism.
According to him, “UN recognises the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of albinism to fight against global discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism.
“There is need for government to urgently put in place measures to create greater awareness on the social challenges albinos face to address their plight.”
He described albinism as a global phenomenon that occurs in people of all races and gender due to lack of melanin pigment, positing that Nigeria was assessed to have one of the highest albinism prevalence rates in the world, with children constituting about 40 per cent.
“Albinos over the years have suffered discrimination, stigmatisation, health hazards, impaired vision, economic deprivation, lack of access to quality education, among others.
“Skin cancer is the highest health risk that albinos face because of their delicate skin type, especially when exposed to the sun,” he explained.
He solicited the collaboration of civil society organisations to address the plight of the albinos.
In commemorating the day with the albinos, Lagos State Coordinator of TAF, Mrs. Josephine Omolola, was excited that the IAAD was being marked in Nigeria, stressing that the day would help to create awareness on albinism and change misconceptions.
“The day will make an impact about who we are; that albinos are humans and good people, and we want to be recognised as human beings.
“As albinos, we face a lot of discrimination, and derogatory statements are used to describe us.
“We want the society to see us as part of them; we don’t want you to see the skin but our capabilities,” she said.
Also, celebrating with the albinos, Dr. Fatima Ibrahim, founder of a non-governmental organisation, REWESUKA Initiative, appealed to government at all levels and private organisations to help alleviate the challenges facing persons living with albinism.
“I am so excited that the IAAD is being celebrated today and we will continue to fight for them and support them,” she said.
“Albinos are human beings and they need the government, private sector and people to come to their aid and stop the stigmatisation and discrimination.
“I want the government to look at policies on albinism that have been enacted and implement them. I want the government of the day to look at the free cancer treatment that is ongoing at the National Hospital in Abuja. We want other government hospitals across the country to also render such service.”
Elsewhere, an association known as the ‘Liberia Albinos Society’ has cried out to the government of Liberia and every individual to stop discrimination against its members.
The Social Coordinator of the Society, U-Thant Smith, said that prior to the establishment of the Society, people living with albinism were faced with discrimination in many forms in Liberia.
Don Sawatziky, a director of an NGO called ‘Under the Same Sun’, which is working to combat discrimination against albinism, said: “Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically-inherited difference occurring in both genders regardless of ethnicity, in all countries of the world. Both the father and mother must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves.
“There are lots of challenges the albinos are facing. When it comes to education we have been intimidated; most of our colleagues cannot afford to go to school, because anytime they go to schools, they are being discriminated against and non-albinos throw hints and shun at them. There are only few albinos who have braved the storm to go to school.”