International Albinism Awareness Day
Every year, International Albinism Awareness Day commemorates the rights of human beings born with albinism and seeks to raise awareness and knowledge of this genetic disorder.
Albinism is characterized by a lack of melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism is a rare disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. One in every 20,000 people has albinism around the world. In areas of Africa, the disease is most common. Albinism is present in about one in every four people in South Africa. According to statistics, one in every 1,400 people in Tanzania could have the genetic disorder.
Medical issues
Many people with albinism are vulnerable to sun exposure. This exposure raises the risk of skin cancer and severe visual impairment. People with albinism are often referred to as an albino. However, many people regard this as a derogatory term.
Albinism is also not fully understood, socioeconomically, or medically. Both parents must have the gene for their child in order to have the condition. Even though the parents have the gene, they may not have any physical signs of the condition. People with albinism have impaired vision because the eye requires pigment to produce normal vision. Many people with albinism are legally blind.
Social issues
Sadly, bullies continue to harass people with albinism, instead of naming them. They are also often the object of discrimination. Babies with albinism are either abandoned or rejected by their families in Asian countries. Many albinism-infested countries face barriers to health and education. Some people with albinism are often the object of erroneous beliefs, myths, and superstition. People are known to kidnap children with albinism and remove their body parts for charms and magical potions in countries where witchcraft is prevalent. Worse yet, some people with albinism carry out heinous attacks and killings.
For all of these reasons, it's vital to safeguard the human rights of those with this illness.
#iadd is a symbol that stands for "internationalalbinismawarenessday" in the United States. #iadd is a hashtag that stands out
On this day, health organizations and advocates of those with albinism hold educational seminars and workshops to inform the public about this rare condition.
To participate:
- Donate to an association, such as the World Albinism Alliance or the National Organization of Albinism & Hypopigmentation
- Learn about albinism and how it affects those with the disorder
- Victor Varnado, composer Edgar Winter, fashion model Connie Chiu, and Emperor Seinei of Japan are among those with albinism
- "Born Too White: Albinism in Africa" is a film by "Born Too White: Albinism in Africa"
- Check out the Champions of the Albinism Cause website
Help spread the word of this day by posting #InternationalAlbinismAwarenessDay or #IAAD on social media.
International albinism awareness day is the oldest in history
The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution in 2013 that called for the prohibition of discrimination against people with albinism. The United Nations General Assembly declared June 13th as International Albinism Awareness Day on December 18, 2014. In 2015, the first observance was held in 2015.
