Activists have asked the government, civil society and Ugandans at large to support people living with albinism in acquiring cryo guns to help in the early detection of skin cancer.
Cryo guns are medical equipment that is used to detect skin cancer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The remarks were made during the launch of a campaign to help these group of people with albinism under the theme;” addressing a campaign against skin cancer for persons with albinism”
According to the activists, with over 5,000 persons with albinism struggling to use a single cryo gun in Uganda, there is a need to increase the number of these medical equipment for health and medical reasons specifically for these groups of people across the country to aid their survival.
ADVERTISEMENT
Allan Tenywa, the GOBS Children’s Foundation told the Nile Post that the initiative is aimed at raising funds for the purchase of five croyo guns to help reduce the burden of skin cancer which he said can be contained if addressed at its infant stage.
“Many of them are not able to access medical care. Treatment of simple medical conditions is nearly impossible from treating open wounds that eventually turn to be cancerous which is difficult to deal with. The foundation is giving a hand to persons with disabilities especially with albinism through raising funds to purchase the needed cryo guns for each region in the country,” he said.
Melanil Mataaga, an activist living with albinism urged Ugandans to support them to purchase cryo guns so that they can also be able to live like the normal human being, adding that the situation of persons with albinism in Uganda is worsening each day.
“It is always our mandate to speak to Ugandans about the situation of people living with albinism in Uganda. They have been facing the problem of skin cancer in the past years in Uganda. We need to address the needs of cryo guns in Uganda in order to help these people with albinism,” she said.
Albinism is a genetic condition consisting of a lack of pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair.
It causes serious eyesight problems, such as photophobia, strabismus, myopia, and nystagmus (involuntary eye movements).