Visibility Vol 8 Issue 2

In Sub Saharan Africa, a certain type of oculocutaneous albinism, OCA2, is found much more frequently than in other parts of the world and it causes a distinct look of light yellow colored hair, white skin, and blue or hazel-grey colored eyes. As an autosomal recessive disorder, parents of a child with OCA2 are fully pigmented and this extreme contrast in appearance without proper health education at birth can result in issues of stigmatization and erroneous beliefs. This hypopigmentation in a child creates not only visual and health disabilities but has also fostered deep-rooted social discrimination within many African countries. In particular, persons with albinism within Tanzania face social and educational stigma fueled by false beliefs and myths. These myths have supported acts of witchcraft that have produced violent crimes of dismemberment and murder against children and adults with albinism. Since 2006, over 100 persons with albinism have been mutilated or killed due to these beliefs and practices of witchcraft.