MIAMI.- He Day Albinism Awareness International is celebrated on June 13. An albino person is characterized by the absence of pigmentation (melanin) in the skin, hair and eyes, which causes sensitivity to the sun and intense light.
According to the United Nations, albinism “is a rare, non-contagious, hereditary and congenital disorder. In almost all types of albinism, both parents must be carriers of the gene. It occurs in both sexes, is independent of ethnic origin, and “It can happen in any country in the world.”
Albinism is most common in sub-Saharan Africa: It is estimated that one in every 1,400 people has it in the United Republic of Tanzania. In America In Northern and European countries, one in every 17,000 to 20,000 people has some type of albinism.
The HIM notes that, “in some countries, people with albinism suffer discrimination, poverty, stigmatization, violence and even are killed. In some countries, women who give birth to children with albinism are disowned by their husbands, and their children abandoned or victims of infanticide.”
In this year 2024, this anniversary focuses on the motto “Ten years of International Albinism Awareness Day: A decade of collective progress.” According to the United Nations, the occasion is conducive to reflecting “on the continuous legal changes, political and practical measures that are still necessary to guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of the rights of people with albinism.
Limitation of rights
The HIM points out that people with albinism encounter repeated obstacles that limit the exercise of their rights to health, education and work. In this sense, they also encounter difficulties in accessing social services.
“People with albinism have the right to enjoy civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights recognized by international human rights legislation,” highlights the United Nations.
Likewise, they point out that equality and non-discrimination represent essential principles of human rights for people with albinism given their visual deficiencies “and the needs in relation to preventive measures that address their vulnerability to skin cancer.”
@snederr
Source: United Nations / International Day Portal
