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ONDO GROUP CALLS FOR ACTION AS
INTERNATIONAL ALBINISM AWARENESS DAY HOLDS
Theme: “Demanding our Rights, Protect our Skin, Preserve our Lives”
Today, as the world marks International Albinism Awareness Day, we in Ondo State stand in solidarity with persons with albinism across the globe-honoring their courage, affirming their rights, and raising our voices for equity and protection.
This year’s theme, “Demanding our Rights, Protect our Skin, Preserve our Lives,” speaks directly to the urgent health and human rights concerns facing people with albinism, especially here in Nigeria. It reminds us that people with albinism are entitled to the same dignity, healthcare, and protection as every other citizen.
In Ondo State, one of the gravest and most preventable threats to the lives of people with albinism remains skin cancer. Due to the lack of melanin, people with albinism are highly vulnerable to sun-related illnesses, yet many still lack access to critical preventive tools such as sunscreen, protective clothing, regular dermatological checkups, and affordable treatment.
As part of the activities marking the day, Mrs. Busayo Ademeko, a strong voice in the albinism community from Albinism Association of Nigeria, (AAN) had featured on different radio stations and granting interviews with the media to enlightened the public about the special day and also on the need to demand the rights of protecting people with albinism in other to save their lives. As we celebrate this important day, we call on the Ondo State Government to take decisive steps to safeguard the lives of persons with albinism by:
* Launching a Statewide Albinism Health Initiative that ensures free or subsidized access to dermatological care and cancer screenings for people with albinism.
* Ensuring the regular supply and distribution of sun-protection resources, including sunscreen, hats, and UV-protective clothing through public health centers.
* Incorporating albinism-related health concerns into the State’s primary healthcare policies and programs.
* Promoting awareness campaigns across communities to dispel myths, reduce stigma, and educate the public on the rights and realities of people with albinism.
Protecting the skin of persons with albinism is not a luxury- it is a life-saving necessity. Preserving their lives requires that we prioritize their wellbeing in all aspects of our health and social development agendas.
Let this year’s observance not be a symbolic event, but a catalyst for real change. We must demand rights, protect skin, and preserve lives—because the time for inclusion, protection, and action is now. The statement ended with a passionate appeal to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to kindly consider the establishment of a modern medical center with all the necessary personnels and equipment so that the center will be attending to all the medical needs of people with albinism to put an end to untimely but avoidable deaths of these God’s own children in our midst.
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