Kenya hosts African leaders with Albinism forum

By Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Kenya on Wednesday hosted African leaders with Albinism conference to discuss specific measures aimed at dealing with attacks and discrimination against people with albinism on the continent.

The meeting brought together people living with albinism -- government officials, civil society members and representatives from national human rights institutions -- from 15 African countries.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, UN independent expert on human rights for persons with albinism, Ikponwosa Ero -- who also lives with albinism -- explained that there are specific issues governments in Africa need to tackle in order to stop attacks on people living with albinism.

“There are so many effective measures that governments in Africa can adopt to solve this problem, this meeting has brought government officials to Nairobi to lay down the structure and the plans to stop attacks and discrimination on people living with albinism,” Ero said.

There have been reports of attacks on people with albinism all over Africa. Most of the attacks have been intensified by erroneous beliefs in certain communities that believe that the body parts of people living with albinism bring wealth and luck.

“Our body parts cannot do anything. If our bodies could bring wealth and good luck then I think we could all be wealthy. This is a lie propagated by witch doctors,” Ero said.

She added that African leaders used the occasion to plan continentally on how to deal with such issues. She said that from the meeting they drafted an action plan with a clear timeframe which will then be taken to the African Union level for adoption regionally and for the first time in Africa people living with albinism will get the visibility that they need and the protection that they require.

According to UN data, Kenya devoted $1 million of its national budget for people with albinism. To date no other country in Africa has taken such a step.

Isaac Mwaura, a Kenyan nominated MP living with albinism said that most victims in Kenya are children.

He suggested that African governments should fund campaigns to help people with albinism noting that in Kenya the $1 million go into the procurement of skin lotions, lip care and skin cancer treatment among others.