Specialists needed to contain skin cancers in persons with Albinism — NGO
Engage Now Africa (ENA), an international non-governmental humanitarian organisation, has urged medical professionals to consider specialisation in dermatology to help contain skin cancers among persons with albinism in particular.
A dermatologist from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Mark Sadey, said in as much as preventive measures went a long way to help the situation, there was the need for more experts in the area in order to treat persons with albinism who developed skin cancers.
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“Dermatologists in the country are not many. There are only about 20 to 35 dermatologists in the country, and most of them are based in Accra, which presents a challenge,” he lamented at a sensitisation workshop in Accra last Friday.
Dr Sadey called on the government to put in place measures that would ensure that more dermatologists were trained so that persons with albinism have access to such professionals.
He also called on the government to cause the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover skin cancer care to provide cheap access for treatment for persons with albinism.
“I believe corporate Ghana has a role to play when it comes to persons with albinism because they need all the help they can get,” Dr Sadey added.
Workshop
The workshop sensitised persons with albinism on some of the most important measures to take to prevent skin cancers.
Another dermatologist at the KBTH, Dr Jennifer Opoku, explained that due to the lack of melanin in albinos, which protected them from ultra-violent sun rays, they were the most vulnerable to skin cancers.
She, therefore, advised persons with albinism to constantly wear protective clothing that covered all parts of their bodies such as long sleeves, trousers, long skirts and wide-brimmed hats.
She further advised albinos to apply broad spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before stepping into sunlight.
“If you will be out for more than two hours, find a shade to stand in and reapply your sunscreen,” she added.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Country Director of ENA, Cecillia Amankwah, said it was a matter of interest to the organisation to educate the public about persons with albinism.
She added that albinos were humans just like anybody else, and deserved to be treated as such.
“We see them as humans just like us; they are not so different from us, and we want the whole world to know,” she said.
Stigmatisation
The Education Director of the organisation, Bishop Francis Ansah, encouraged the public to desist from discriminating against persons with disabilities.
He added that just like any other person, people with albinism needed the conducive environment to be able to succeed in life and to enable them to contribute to national development.
“There are many persons with albinism out there doing great things, which shows that all they need is the right environment to excel,” Bishop Ansah added.