Ministry urges protection of people with albinism

Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has called for collaboration in protecting people with albinism.

Principal disability programmes officer in the Department of Disability and Elderly Affairs, Joshua Mkwehiwa, said this on Tuesday in an interview ahead of the 2018 International Day of Albinism commemoration.

The event, to be celebrated under the banner Shining Our Light to The World, will take place  tomorrow at Mwenilondo Primary School in Karonga.

He said community members, traditional and religious leaders should take a leading role in protecting people with albinism.

“People with Albinism are human beings like anyone else; hence, no need to kill or abduct them,” he said

Mkwehiwa also said people found abusing, killing and abducting people with albinism should be reported to police.

People with albinism in the country, particularly children, are at risk of abduction and being killed because their body parts are allegedly associated with rituals.

In November 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on albinism, proclaiming June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day, effective 2015.

The day was set aside to reflect on the plight of persons with albinism and serve as an appeal to governments, civil society organisation and the public to respect the rights of persons with albinism. n