Coronavirus Effect on the Albino Community

Albinos are people with special skin and eye conditions that make then differently able from the majority of people. They are considered as part of the disable community by the National Commission for People Living with Disability. Even with this recognition, little has been done by government and its partners to alleviate the suffering of albinos.

Persons with albinism in Sierra Leone are victims of marginalization, discrimination and stigmatization which makes them vulnerable to violent attacks. They also face socioeconomic challenges which negatively contribute to their overall development and enjoyment of their human rights. Persons with albinism in the country have difficulties claiming their rights due to the myths and misconceptions by society.

As the coronavirus hits Sierra Leone in March 2020, the Albino community faces more difficulty than before. As Sierra Leone struggles for inclusion, albinos face discrimination to attain the basic needs of life, including food, shelter and medications.

34 years old Albino, Mabinty Sesay, told Awoko newspaper that since the outbreak of the virus in the country, life has been difficult for them as a community. Aside from the discriminations, she pointed out that their suffering includes lack of consideration by the government to provide care for them the way they do for other groups of disabled persons in the country.  "From what I have learned they aren't seeing us as disabled, which is a pity to the government. We are very vulnerable but authorities concerned aren't treating our plights with the seriousness it deserves.”

Sesay said, during the first three days lock down to tackle the spread of the virus in the country, she didn't receive any package from the government or non-governmental organization as a support to cushion the effect of the virus. But to her surprised that government and its partners provided aid to other groups of disabled persons.

Aminata Kamara, a lactating mother of a seven months old baby living with albinism. She said life became difficult for them as a family, as her husband, a bar owner in the central business district experienced slow business. "Business went bad for us due to the restrictions imposed by government. We used to sell over a million or two a day, but as a result of the coronavirus we even struggled to pay our shop rent or sometime raised money for food. Business became stagnated and up to this moment we are suffering from the shock," she noted.

“It is better late than never”, she called on the Government to focus on Albinos, “as they are faced with numerous challenges in their lives.”

One of the biggest concerns for persons with albinism in Sierra Leone is their lack of access to sun protection and better-vision devices. Some medics have said that, under normal circumstances, skin cancer is common within the albinism community and it could increase during the pandemic.

According to other sources there is a lack of effective policies to address the socioeconomic problems that persons with albinism face in Sierra Leone. It is reported that the ministry for social welfare did not take into cognizance the situation of persons with albinism in their Disability Act policy of 2011.

This story was put together with the support from Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) human rights fellowship