What is 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.
