Group Decries Increase In Skin Cancer Among People Living With Albinism

The Chief Executive Officer/Founder of 'The Albino Foundation' (TAF), Jake Epelle, has lamented the alarming increase in skin cancer cases among Persons With Albinism (PWA) in Nigeria.

He stated that TAF has referred 5,500 persons with Albinism, down with skin cancer to the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) for treatment with evidence to show from the hospital.

He made this known at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, speaking on the alarming rate of skin cancer cases being recorded among Persons with Albinism (PWA) in Nigeria.

According to him: “We will not be able to exhaust TAF’s past advocacy efforts in this meeting, but the most significant amongst them is the free skin cancer treatment scheme which the Foundation
secured during the administration of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

“This scheme was funded by the government through the disbursement of funds by the Federal Ministry of Finance to the six designated hospitals in Nigeria’s geopolitical zones (especially the National Hospital, Abuja).

“No part of this arrangement involved any kind of financial benefit to TAF as an organisation. Also, TAF did not at any point receive funds before, during or after the scheme.

“Our role, however, was to recommend PWA who needed treatment or check-up to the designated hospitals. These recommendations were documented and although we lost some documents when we changed office in 2020, we have archived most of them in the folders which are here in this Conference Room.

“These facts are verifiable and can be corroborated by the National Hospital, Abuja, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and other designated hospitals. May I add that we played this role at zero cost to PWA. We like to again register our gratitude to the government and the designated hospitals for this initiative through which the lives of several PWA were preserved.

“In Africa, only Nigeria and Kenya have enjoyed this sort of intervention. We also thank the state governments who have identified with our cause and shown support. Many of these states have given us offices for our activities.

“In addition to the free skin cancer treatment scheme, TAF has in the past mobilised for the treatment of PWA within and outside Nigeria, worth millions of dollars. This is also verifiable by the beneficiaries, some of whom have joined this briefing on call.

“No matter the impact, no visionary organisation is satisfied to dwell in the milestones of the past. This is our disposition, and so we are unrelenting in our efforts to revive the free skin cancer treatment scheme.

“To this end, we have continued to engage the relevant stakeholders of government to resolve the hitches of the past, and fully resume this scheme as quickly as possible. We have also engaged in media advocacy campaigns to generate broad-based attention and intervention,” he explained.

He, however, hinted that, “It has come to our attention that some individuals have inadvertently or maliciously embarked on the ill-fated voyage of discrediting TAF, the Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN), the government and other stakeholders with regards to the free cancer treatment scheme explained earlier. We welcome them to check the facts from the sources we have cited and desist from their ill-advised actions and utterances.

“As you may be aware, albinism is caused by insufficient production or distribution of melanin – the pigment that gives the skin, eyes and hair their colouring. You may also be aware of the high susceptibility of PWA to skin cancer, especially when there is excessive exposure to the sun.”