Skin cancer kills 70 persons with albinism in 4 years

Skin cancer has killed 70 persons with albinism between 2020 and 2024, the Association of Persons with Albinism (APAM) has disclosed. 

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APAM president Young Mhamba made the remarks in an interview on Monday, saying  persons with albinism continue facing challenges of skin cancer due to lack of employment and unavailability of lotions in clinics.

“In Malawi, lotions are found in places where they do routine cancer prevention clinics, for example in the Central Region and Southern Region. We have started penetrating in the Northern Region though clinics have not started vibrantly,” he said.

“We have been able to train health professionals to make sure that people with albinism who are diagnosed with skin cancer by the end of this year will be commencing in all the districts of the Northern Region,” he added.

Muhamba further said a lot of persons with albinism are not economically independent; hence, they are living in impoverished conditions.

“You find that cancer is very common among people who are poorer than people who are well to do because poor persons with albinism are mainly involved in small scale tasks like farming, tailoring and other jobs that are mainly done in the sun that exposes them more to the sun,” he explained.