Albinism in Paradise

Zanzibar lies 33km off of the coast of mainland Tanzania, and 6° south of the equator. The archipelago includes two main islands: Pemba and Unguja The islands are home to about 1 million people.

What is Albinism? Those suffering from albinism do not produce melanin, a pigment in the skin which provides natural protection against the harmful effects of the sun's rays Therefore, persons with albinism are at a very high risk of developing skin cancer, if they do not take the proper precautions

Facts: Albinism in Tanzania In Zanzibar and Tanzania, people with albinism have a life expectancy of 30 years, with only 2% living until the age of 40* High mortality is due to epidemic rates of fatal skin cancer deaths * www.who.int

Facts: Albinism in Tanzania Albinism in Tanzania is 5 times as common, with 1 in 4,000 people being affected* On the other hand, in the USA and Europe, current statistics report that 1 in 20,000 people have some form of albinism and most live to a normal life expectancy* *underthesamesun.com

What is being done in Zanzibar? The association's goals are: 1. To foster good relationships between albinos and the general society 2. To advocate for enabling environments for the education, employment and healthcare of albinos 3. To educate albinos and family members on skin protection The Zanzibar Association of Albinos is a civil society organization established by Mr. Abdullah Dowdie (pictured)

Last year Abdullah attended a conference where he learned of the dangerous consequences of sun exposure for the first time. He states: “I was so shocked when I heard that our life expectancy is only 30 years old, that means that I have only another 4 potential years of life, I had no idea the sun was so harmful to us. I am aware that I burn easily, but I didn’t realize it was so detrimental. If I had been aware of this before, I could have protected myself better and taught others.”

The Reality In Zanzibar a bottle of sun cream at the local pharmacy costs around $20 When the average income is $1-2 per day, private purchase is simply unaffordable

The Good News With early education, and provision of skin creams, sunglasses, and hats many deaths can be prevented We can help reduce mortality rates for this very vulnerable, marginalized, and deserving group and improve their health outcomes dramatically

ANY contributions are greatly appreciated! What You Can Do Donation of sunscreen, long sleeved shirts and trousers, sunglasses, hats / caps. Funds for education materials. ANY contributions are greatly appreciated!