What is Albinism?

Tanzania’s Albino people are once again in news. Tanzania Albino Society has called for the men found guilty of killing an albino boy to be hanged publicly as a warning to others.

A court sentenced them to death for attacking the boy and severing his legs for use in witchdoctors’ potions.

There are more than 100 people on death row for gruesome crimes against Albino, but no-one has been executed in more than 15 years.

What is Albinism:
The term Albinism is a form of hypopigmentary congenital disorder, characterized by a partial or total lack of melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair, or more rarely in the eyes alone.

Albinism results from inheritance of recessive alleles. The condition is known to affect mammals including humans, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Albinism is a condition that cannot be “cured”, but small things can be done to improve the quality of life for those affected.

Most importantly to improve vision, protect the eyes from bright lights, and avoid skin damage from sunlight.

Many of Tanzania’s estimated 17,000 albino people are now living in fear, especially in villages in the north-west where the majority of the murders have occurred.

Albino people are killed because potions made from their body parts are believed to bring good luck and wealth.