By Joy Odigie
The Albino Foundation (TAF), Edo Chapter, called for increased awareness of skin cancer and its prevention in people with albinism.
The foundation’s deputy coordinator, Miss Joy Odigie, made the appeal in an interview with the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) on Sunday in Benin on the occasion of the celebration of the International Albinism Awareness Day. (IAAD) 2021.
NAN reports that IAAD is celebrated annually on June 13 to raise awareness of the rights and challenges of people living with albinism.
This year’s theme is “Albinism and Skin Cancer: The Need for Everyone to Be Involved”.
Odigie said skin cancer has continued to shorten the lifespan of people with albinism (PWA) in Nigeria due to lack of awareness.
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He added that “PWAs have little or no melanin and, as such, they are susceptible to skin cancer due to exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
“However, some PWA, especially those living in rural areas, do not know that prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer.
“They don’t know about the use of lotions and sunscreens to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.
“It is so unfortunate that the Edo chapter of the foundation lost two of its members to skin cancer in less than two months.”
She called on the National Guidance Agency (ANO) and the media to develop and disseminate skin cancer awareness messages in local languages.
She also called for the provision of more cancer treatment facilities in the country to increase the survival rate of people with skin cancer.
She noted that “PWA with skin cancer complain about faulty treatment machines in hospitals across the country.
“We call on the federal and state governments to purchase such machines and install them in a public hospital and maintain them.”