Ver Angola

Health

Pro-albinism organizations concerned about deaths associated with skin cancer

Organisations defending people with albinism in the country have expressed concern this Thursday about the skin health situation, which has led to the premature death of many people due to skin cancer.

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In a statement sent on Thursday to Lusa, the Pro Albino Movement did not advance the number of deaths, but recommended that the Government continue to advocate the elaboration, approval, co-financing and implementation of the National Plan of Action for Albinism, aligned with the Regional Plan of Action for Albinism in Africa under the aegis of the African Union and the United Nations.

The issue was addressed in Luanda on the 14th of this month by civil society groups and organisations that analysed the current situation of people with albinism, as well as the proposal to create a network or platform of organisations working on this issue.

The efforts of doctors and health personnel to save the lives of people with albinism affected by cancer, despite the limitations in access to services for these patients, was acknowledged by the participants at the meeting.

"One example is that there are only dermatology consultations for people with albinism in Luanda and provincial capitals in Huila, Huambo and Benguela," the statement said.

The movement calls for the general analysis of the situation of people with albinism to be continued and also to include analyses by specificities, namely age groups, gender, and by areas: school education, skin health, low vision and photophobia, the most vulnerable people and families, social assistance and cultural issues from the perspective of belief/tabus systems and prejudices.

The Open Society Initiative Southem Africa (OSISA) is funding the operation of the Albino Support Association in Angola "4As", in Luanda and in the province of Uíge, as well as a quantitative research on albinism, the results of which aim to advocate a census of the population sensitive to albinism.

The organizations encouraged the dissemination of information and knowledge about the risk factors in people with albinism and the forms of mitigation and overcoming, specifically at the level of prevention.

In June 2019, the 1st Pro Albinism conference was held in Angola, in which it was revealed that discrimination against people with albinism is still widespread in the country, according to a study carried out on the situation.

At that time, in declarations to Lusa, the president of the Pro Albinism Movement, Guilherme Santos, said that the stigma about albinism depends on social strata, and may or may not be more present in rural areas, in families of Christian faith or with greater or lesser access to knowledge or in urban society.

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