Albinism in Paradise

Zanzibar lies 33km off of the coast of mainland Tanzania, and 6° south of the equator. The archipelago includes two main islands: Pemba and Unguja

The islands are home to about 1 million people.

What is Albinism?What is Albinism?Those suffering from albinism do not produce melanin, a pigment in the skin which provides natural protection against the harmful effects of the sun's raysTherefore, persons with albinism are at a very high risk of developing skin cancer, if they do not take the proper precautions

Facts: Albinism in TanzaniaFacts: Albinism in Tanzania In Zanzibar and Tanzania, people with albinism have a life expectancy of 30 years, with only 2% living until the age of 40*

High mortality is due to epidemic rates of fatal skin cancer deaths

* www.who.int

Facts: Albinism in TanzaniaFacts: Albinism in Tanzania Albinism in Tanzania is 5 times as common, with 1

in 4,000 people being affected*

On the other hand, in the USA and Europe, current

statistics report that 1 in 20,000 people have some form of albinism and most

live to a normal life expectancy*

*underthesamesun.com

What is being done in Zanzibar?What is being done in Zanzibar?The association's goals are:

1. To foster good relationships between albinos and the general society

2. To advocate for enabling environments for the education, employment and healthcare of albinos

3. To educate albinos and family members on skin protection

The Zanzibar Association of The Zanzibar Association of AlbinosAlbinos is a civil society is a civil society organization established by Mr. organization established by Mr. Abdullah Dowdie (pictured)Abdullah Dowdie (pictured)

Last year Abdullah attended a conference where he Last year Abdullah attended a conference where he learned of the dangerous consequences of sun learned of the dangerous consequences of sun exposure for the first time. He states:exposure for the first time. He states:

“I was so shocked when I heard that our life expectancy is only 30 years old, that means that I have only another 4 potential years of life, I had

no idea the sun was so harmful to us. I am aware that I burn easily, but I didn’t realize it was

so detrimental. If I had been aware of this before, I could have protected myself better and

taught others.”

The RealityThe RealityIn Zanzibar a bottle of sun cream at the local pharmacy costs around $20

When the average income is $1-2 per day, private purchase is simply unaffordable

The GoodThe Good News NewsWith early education, and provision of skin creams, sunglasses, and hats many deaths can be prevented

We can help reduce mortality rates for this very vulnerable, marginalized, and deserving group and improve their health outcomes dramatically

What You Can DoWhat You Can Do

Donation of sunscreen, long sleeved shirts and trousers, sunglasses, hats / caps. Funds for

education materials.ANY contributions are greatly appreciated!