Protecting the Right to Live: Ending Preventable Skin Cancer for People with Albinism

The United Nations’ theme for International Albinism Awareness Day 2025 is a call that cannot be ignored. Governments, institutions and families must commit, without delay, to protect the lives of people with albinism by ending deaths caused by preventable skin cancer.

This year marks ten years since the UN established a dedicated mandate to defend the rights of people with albinism around the world. This milestone is more than symbolic; it challenges us to look closely at what has been achieved so far and what still needs to be done in this fight. It reminds us that real progress requires stronger laws, sustained funding and a collective promise to protect lives that have long been overlooked.

Skin cancer remains the leading cause of death for people with albinism in many parts of the world, especially in regions like Southern Africa. The problem is not a lack of solutions but a lack of access. Many people cannot get basic protection like sunscreen, protective clothing and routine medical care. These are not luxuries but necessities. For people with albinism, something as simple as a hat or sunscreen can mean the difference between a full life and an early death.

Where governments have taken action by providing free or subsidized sunscreen, sun protective clothing and access to skin checks, lives have been saved. These policies prove that protecting people with albinism is possible when there is political will and adequate resources. Sun protection should be treated as a basic health right, not an optional benefit.

In Ghana, an estimated two thousand people live with albinism. Many grow up hidden or abandoned by their families. Poverty makes their situation even harder, limiting access to basic protection and care. There are also reports of health workers refusing to treat people with albinism, often because of harmful cultural beliefs. This deepens mistrust in a system meant to serve everyone. Although ritual killings are rare in Ghana, fear and discrimination can still cause real harm.

Ending preventable skin cancer is not charity. It is a matter of human rights and dignity. No one should lose their life to a disease that knowledge, simple tools and collective responsibility can prevent. This anniversary year is a chance to show that we value the lives of people with albinism equally and that they deserve to live without fear of the sun.

Understanding Albinism

Albinism is a rare genetic condition found in every country and community. For a child to be born with albinism, both parents must carry the gene, even if they do not have the condition themselves. Because the body does not produce enough melanin, the skin, hair and eyes have little or no pigment. This leaves people with albinism extremely vulnerable to sun damage and permanent vision loss. There is no cure for albinism; ongoing care and protection are the only ways to manage its risks.

North America and Europe, about one in every seventeen to twenty thousand people has albinism. Rates are far higher in parts of sub Saharan Africa. In Tanzania, about one in every one thousand four hundred people has albinism, with some communities in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa seeing rates as high as one in every one thousand.

Skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, yet many people with albinism cannot afford basic protection such as sunscreen, protective clothing, hats or sunglasses. Many also live far from clinics and have no access to regular medical checkups. As a result, thousands die young not because treatment does not exist, but because they are never able to receive it in time. Vision loss is another challenge. Without melanin, our eyes are extremely sensitive to light, yet many go without the eye care they need. Further, stigma and harmful myths expose them to rejection, isolation and sometimes violence.

Despite these barriers, the community continues to grow stronger and claim its rightful place in society. Organisations such as the Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism and Engage Now Africa raise awareness and advocate for stronger laws and better services. Through social media and local networks, people share information and mobilize for change. Although progress in rural areas is slower, efforts to challenge harmful beliefs and remind communities that people with albinism belong remain steady and determined.

Call to Action

The government and civil society must work together to raise awareness, fight stigma and ensure people with albinism have equal opportunities, protection and care. This includes public education, better job access, prosecution of violence, and training for health and education workers. Sunscreen must be treated as essential and skin checks made free and accessible. Families must be supported to protect their children from myths, discrimination and harm. Protecting people with albinism is a matter of rights and life. As we mark ten years of commitment, we must act now to prove that every life matters.