Namibia’s albino community faces skin cancer crisis
Outreach promotes early treatment, tackles stigma
A Kavango outreach campaign to educate, screen and empower people living with albinism has highlighted the scale of untreated skin cancers among albinism patients.
The Dermatology Society of Namibia has raised the alarm over the high number of people with albinism in Namibia presenting with skin cancer at such an advanced stage that treatment is no longer possible.
In response, the society last week launched an outreach campaign in the Kavango East and West regions, where late-stage skin cancer among people with albinism is particularly prevalent.
Speaking at the commemoration of World Albinism Awareness Day in Nkurenkuru last Friday, dermatologist Dr Salem Nambahu said the initiative was born out of years of seeing patients too late.
“We have been seeing far too many people living with albinism coming to us with advanced, non-operable skin cancers," the doctor explained.
The campaign, spearheaded by the society in collaboration with the Namibia Association of People Living with Albinism and the health ministry, was focused on screening, education and community engagement.
“We must go to the people,” Nambahu stressed. “We must educate, screen and empower. That is how this campaign was born.”
The Kavango regions were identified as the starting point due to its higher concentration of people living with albinism and the disproportionate number of severe skin cancer cases emerging from the region.
Beat cancer and stigma
The outreach began on 9 June and culminated in Nkurenkuru on 13 June. Individuals received screenings and sun protection kits, including long-sleeved T-shirts and hats, and were offered education on skin care and the use of sunscreen, which Nambahu described as “a basic health necessity”.
The initiative also aimed to tackle long-standing myths and stigma. “Albinism is not a curse. It’s not caused by witchcraft or wrongdoing. It’s a genetic condition,” she told attendees. “And it is not contagious.”
Inclusion and acceptance
While the 2023 census reported that 38 000 Namibians are estimated to live with albinism, the campaign’s message was clear: every individual matters. “Each one of them deserves protection, access to care and dignity,” said Kavango West governor Verna Sinimbo, who delivered the keynote.
“People with albinism are not defined by their condition but by their humanity,” she added.
But for many, life with albinism remains an uphill battle.
Jakko Haiyambo, a final-year student at the International University of Management, shared his story of learning without visual aids and relying on classmates to help him keep up. “There were no sunglasses, no magnifying tools. I just had to move closer to the chalkboard or copy from friends – even if they were wrong,” he said.
Despite those challenges, Haiyambo has risen to a leadership role at his university and now advocates for inclusion and self-acceptance. “Nobody will love you if you don’t love yourself. Accept who you are and start living life.”
In response, the society last week launched an outreach campaign in the Kavango East and West regions, where late-stage skin cancer among people with albinism is particularly prevalent.
Speaking at the commemoration of World Albinism Awareness Day in Nkurenkuru last Friday, dermatologist Dr Salem Nambahu said the initiative was born out of years of seeing patients too late.
“We have been seeing far too many people living with albinism coming to us with advanced, non-operable skin cancers," the doctor explained.
The campaign, spearheaded by the society in collaboration with the Namibia Association of People Living with Albinism and the health ministry, was focused on screening, education and community engagement.
“We must go to the people,” Nambahu stressed. “We must educate, screen and empower. That is how this campaign was born.”
The Kavango regions were identified as the starting point due to its higher concentration of people living with albinism and the disproportionate number of severe skin cancer cases emerging from the region.
Beat cancer and stigma
The outreach began on 9 June and culminated in Nkurenkuru on 13 June. Individuals received screenings and sun protection kits, including long-sleeved T-shirts and hats, and were offered education on skin care and the use of sunscreen, which Nambahu described as “a basic health necessity”.
The initiative also aimed to tackle long-standing myths and stigma. “Albinism is not a curse. It’s not caused by witchcraft or wrongdoing. It’s a genetic condition,” she told attendees. “And it is not contagious.”
Inclusion and acceptance
While the 2023 census reported that 38 000 Namibians are estimated to live with albinism, the campaign’s message was clear: every individual matters. “Each one of them deserves protection, access to care and dignity,” said Kavango West governor Verna Sinimbo, who delivered the keynote.
“People with albinism are not defined by their condition but by their humanity,” she added.
But for many, life with albinism remains an uphill battle.
Jakko Haiyambo, a final-year student at the International University of Management, shared his story of learning without visual aids and relying on classmates to help him keep up. “There were no sunglasses, no magnifying tools. I just had to move closer to the chalkboard or copy from friends – even if they were wrong,” he said.
Despite those challenges, Haiyambo has risen to a leadership role at his university and now advocates for inclusion and self-acceptance. “Nobody will love you if you don’t love yourself. Accept who you are and start living life.”
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