As the World celebrates International Day of Persons with Albinism, Legal Link, a non-profit legal advocacy group, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Association for Persons with Albinism have on Saturday June 13, 2020 called on the government to increase medical and educational support to persons with Albinism in the country.
June 13, has been recognised by the United Nations as the International Albinism Awareness Day, a day set aside to raise awareness about persons with albinism and to protect their human rights in the manner envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals.
Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited difference present at birth. In almost all types of albinism, both parents must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves. The condition is found in both sexes regardless of ethnicity and in all countries of the world. Albinism results from a lack of pigmentation (the black melanin) in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.
In Sierra Leone, Albinos are commonly called “Juice” and they are about 501 albinos in the country, according to data from 2014 Housing and Population Census.
Persons with Albinism are faced with discrimination and barriers that restrict their enjoyment of rights in society. The challenges of persons with albinism in Sierra Leone include skin cancer, poor eye sight, and limited access to justice, education, health and political representation in democratic institutions in the country.
Lawyer Dumbuya said in a statement that the theme is a clarion call to recognize, celebrate, stand in solidarity with Albinos around the world, support their cause, accomplishments and challenges, and to promote and protect their fundamental human rights.
He called on the government to adopt and implement the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa, and the newly adopted resolution by the Pan African Parliament to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of attacks on persons with albinism. He further called for effective education and awareness raising on the human rights of people with albinism.
“Also, we call on the government and Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone to pass a specific law that will adequately protect the rights of persons with albinism in the country especially in the area of health and education,” Legal Link and Sierra Leone Association of Persons with Albinism said in the statement.
They called on the government, the Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and other civil society organizations, with human rights mandate, to increase education and public awareness raising activities on the rights of persons with albinism so as to deconstruct stereotypes and existing myths.
They further called on government to ensure that persons with albinism are not discriminated in schools, and are provided with scholarship support to pursue their education to the highest level, adding that free healthcare services for albinism must also be guaranteed so as to help address the problem of skin cancer which gravely affects their health.
They said that the government should also ensure that persons with albinism are included in the three arms of government, as well as in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other sectors crucial for the running of the affairs of the state, adding that it would help to demystify myths and erroneous beliefs about persons with albinism.
By Stephen V. Lansana
17/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7847