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  • Updated: July 30, 2022

Albinism: Facing Discrimination And Plagued By Cruel Myths

Albinism: Facing Discrimination And Plagued By Cruel Myths

Scientifically, Albinism is a condition that affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes.

This inherited, genetic anomaly occurs in hundreds of thousands of people around the world, irrespective of race or country.

What Is Albinism?

Albinism is a hereditary genetic anomaly resulting from mutations in genes that affect how much melanin the body produces and therefore the pigmentation or colour of a person's skin and hair, which is very pale or almost white in the case of sufferers.

The absence of melanin leaves the skin extremely sensitive to sunlight, which means people with albinism are at greater risk of developing skin cancer.

Albinism is an inherited disorder that is often wrongly assumed to be an illness, as it is a factor that contributes to the discrimination those affected can face in society.

What People Does Albinism Affect?

Albinism can affect any racial group around the world. Researchers estimate that up to 1 in every 20,000 people have albinism.

About one in 70 people carry the genetic mutation that they can pass on to their children.

How Many People Are Affected?

According to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), around one in 20,000 people are born with albinism, which would equate to 400,000 people out of a global population of 7.9 billion.

Africa has a slightly higher incidence, between one in 5,000 and one in 15,000 inhabitants.

One of the largest populations of people with albinism is believed to be in Tanzania, with as many as one in 1,400 people born with the disorder.

Albinism And Discrimination

With the discrimination that comes with albinism and because of appearances, all over the world, people with the disorder are often set aside and cast out, socially excluded, and frequently discriminated against.

People with albinism are often not perceived as being human and they are often stigmatised due to their appearance.

Africa is where they suffer the worst discrimination and violence due to their supposed magical powers.

Tales Of Attacks, Plagued By Myths

A variety of myths surround albinism and this varies in different cultures and their views on albinism.

For example, generally, people with albinism are believed to be ghosts and their body parts are said to bring good fortune.

In a 2013 study by the UTSS, it was found that the myths about albinism were being driven by traditional healers. This has led to the deaths of many albinos, as it has caused the killing of many people with albinism.

The UTSS, which has been logging cases of violence across Africa, ranks countries like Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania as the nations where such attacks are most prevalent.

A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report found evidence of more than 200 cases of ritual aggressions against sufferers of albinism between 2000 and 2013.

In July 2021, a United Nations expert on albinism and a Nigerian lawyer, Ikponwosa Ero raised an alarm over the increase in cases of people with albinism being killed or attacked for body parts.

In a shocking recent case, the dismembered body of a four-year-old child was found in February in Burundi in a case believed to be linked to the illegal trade in body parts with neighbouring Tanzania.

What Causes Albinism?

Albinism results from a genetic mutation that both parents pass on as it is a condition present at birth.

Even though parents may have no symptoms of albinism themselves, they may still have the genetic mutation that they can pass to their children.

If both parents have the mutation, there is a one in four chance their child will have albinism.

The genetic mutation disrupts the function of melanocytes, which are cells that create melanin. With albinism, these cells are unable to make melanin and distribute it throughout the skin and hair.

Albinism And Life Expectancy

Life expectancy for a person with albinism is the same as the general population. However, people with albinism have a higher risk of skin cancer.

Albinism itself does not shorten a person’s life expectancy. However, the condition does put a person at higher risk of skin cancer. Taking precautions to protect the skin from the sun can lower the risk of skin cancer.

Albinism also causes eye problems that may require treatment and therapies to improve vision.

The physical appearance of persons with albinism is often the object of erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition.

This in turn fosters their marginalisation and social exclusion leading to various forms of stigma and discrimination and a range of prejudices.

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