Demanding our rights: Protect our skin, Preserve our lives.

The 2025 theme "Demanding our rights:Protect our skin, Preserve our lives.'' highlights the urgent need to prevent skin cancer in persons with albinism through awareness, screenings, and sunscreen access.The risk of skin cancer is extremely high for persons with albinism, and the lack of access to sunscreen, protective gear, as well as skin cancer screening and treatment can lead to foreseeable, yet preventable deaths. Skin cancer is the primary cause of death for persons with albinism in the Southern African region, rendering sunscreen an essential medicine, not a cosmetic product. The majority of national action plans on albinism adopted by governments include measures to ensure access to sunscreen, protective clothing and regular dermatological check-ups and skin cancer treatments. Several countries have initiatives providing free or subsidized sunscreen and sun protective clothing, access to dermatological services and skin cancer screening, detection and treatment and awareness campaigns to educate persons with albinism and their families about the importance of sun protection. Studies published on the impact of such interventions have shown that these interventions, where implemented, have significantly improved the health outcomes of persons with albinism. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #iaad2025, #sunscreenisadrug, #albinism.

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