New skin cancer campaign to assist people living with albinism

KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has announced a new campaign to create awareness about skin cancer among people living with albinism, and improve access to healthcare for them. The MEC also wants more health facilities to provide them with sunscreen which protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet light, free of charge.

MEC Dhlomo made this announcement while attending the two-day Parliament for People Living With Disability, which is taking place in Richard’s Bay.

“At the Parliament of People Living with Disabilities, we were made aware of a dire need to intensify awareness about skin cancer among people living with albinism.

“We want to start by encouraging all our hospitals to continue to freely give people with albinism sunscreen. It’s happening in some hospitals, but when you meet people with albinism you get to hear that in other districts it’s not really happening constantly. So, we’d like to encourage them because providing sunscreen free of charge to people living with albinism is a policy of the Department, and is helpful.”

MEC Dhlomo said he had been made aware that Umzinyathi and Umkhanyakude districts have a high number of people living with albinism who have skin cancer.

“We would therefore want to intensify this campaign, visit these areas, identify people at risk, and give them treatment early. This is one cancer that should be behind us because it’s easy to detect. Sometimes, it even confuses clinicians who mistake it for an ordinary sore, yet it is cancer.
So, we’ll be visiting these areas to intensify the campaign and deal with these issues.”

It is anticipated that the campaign with kick off early next year.