Everest Ezeihe || Worried by the enormous health, education, socio-cultural challenges being faced by the persons with albinism, Albino Foundation Imo State chapter has lamented over an alleged neglect of their plights by Imo State Government.
Pastor Victor Ibegbum and Mrs. Mornic Mbaoma, the State Coordinator and Assistant State Secretary of the Albino Foundation disclosed this in a press statement dated Saturday 6th May, issued at Owerri and made available to newsmen as part of the activities marking 2017 National Albinism Day.
The Leaders reported that their members are prone to several health issues such as skin cancer, sunburn and that some of them were born visually impaired leaving them to be unable to carry out normal day to day activities actively and effectively.
They also reported that most persons with albinism in Nigeria were either illiterate or poorly educated because of the low vision impairment, that most of them often are subjected into objects of discrimination and socio-exclusion as a result of their skin colour by fellow citizens who furthermore have made deliberate efforts to ensure that children with Albinism are deliberately discouraged from going to school.
They further complained that there is a high level of socio-marital and job/employment discrimination of persons with albinism, this they insisted as caused by a lot of negative mindsets and socio-cultural stereotype about albinism.
That apart from the above anomalies that societal stigmatization is another social challenges faced by persons with albinism.
They passionately appealed to Imo State government agencies and private sectors on the need to form sustainable partnership with the foundation aimed at providing quality and affordable health care services for persons with albinism, which can be in form of provision of sunscreen cream, low vision aids sunglasses and inclusion of persons with albinism in the treatment of cancer.
They also canvassed for the need for regular seminar and workshop for critical stakeholders on issues concerning albinism as well as the provision of visual aids to assist every Albino child to participate in class.
They further asked for an intensive awareness programme aimed at changing some of these negative mindsets and socio-cultural stereotypes as it concerns marriage, social discrimination, and stigmatization of persons with Albinism.
They equally demanded job opportunities to their members especially in-house employment and empowerment, through skill acquisition and provision of soft loan facilities.
Finally, they further appealed to the State Government to offer them an office secretariat and solicit that the Albino Foundation, Imo State Chapter be registered and recognized as one of the Non-Governmental Organizations in the state.