WE ALL HUMAN IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR CONDITIONS

Today the world saw  the gathering  of the awareness  of our  brothers and sisters who are living with Albisni,13 Jun. 17 it’s  an international day where countries, communities and societies  amalgamate  to tackle the myths, superstitions and stereotypes and may more other, about the unique individuals with Albinism.

Albinism is caused by a mutation in one of several genes. Each of these genes provides instructions for making one of several proteins involved in the production of melanin. Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found in your skin and eyes. A mutation may result in no melanin at all or a significant decline in the amount of melanin.

Albinism is caused by a lack of the pigment melanin, which gives hair, skin and eyes their colour.

Melanin is also involved in the development of the retina (the thin layer of nerve cells that line the inside of the back of the eye) and nerve connections between the retina and the brain, which is why most people with albinism have vision problems.

In people with albinism, the cells that make melanin do not work due to a faulty (mutated) gene.

There are two main types of albinism:

• oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) – the most common type that affects the skin, hair and eyes
• ocular albinism (OA) – a rarer type that mainly affects the eyes

These two types are caused by different genetic faults, and they can be divided into many further sub-types that are caused by a number of different faulty genes.

A rumor has spread like wildfire in some areas of the country -- and across the region -- that children born without skin pigmentation are imbued with a special sort of magic. Some say that if you hack off their arms, steal their blood or even take their lives, riches or luck will come your way.

 

This belief has led to the murders of dozens of persons with albinism, or PWAs. (They are often referred to as albinos, though advocacy groups tend to reject this term as pejorative.) Those who escape death may lose a limb and be doomed to live the rest of their lives with a disability, to say nothing of the stigma.

People with albinism are some of the least-well understood on the planet. Plenty of myths abound about them, including that they are sterile, a curse, and even that their body parts can be used as magical talismans. (Some uninformed people even believe that a child with albinism born to a black mother and father is the ghost of a former European colonist.) We’re happy to report that none of these are true. Those with the albino disorder are virtually identical to people without it. 

The main difference obviously results in the lack of pigmentation, though some side symptoms include vision problems and higher susceptibility to the sun – both of which can be treated.

Though people with albinism are often teased or ridiculed, we’re here to try and change that. In this list, we dig into the scientific facts about albinism, including: Is it contagious? Do people with albinism die younger? and, what causes albinism? As a genetic condition, albinism is equivalent to having blond hair rather than brown hair. Despite the destigmatization of people with albinism which has started taking root, plenty of doubt and confusion exists around this disorder. Let’s clear that up in this list of 25 facts about Albinism we might want to be aware of.

Traditional doctors or healers serve a great need in their communities, especially where there is limited access to health care. But there are some who have taken a dark turn. They have created this black market; they claim that the skin, eyes, organ, tissues or blood of people with albinism can be turned into potions that will confer wealth or luck.

 

People with albinism often don’t have a treatment option for their condition. Eye problems may be corrected through surgery and skin problems can be treated by consistent applications of sun block and other protecting items. The good news is that the health conditions that are present in albinism do not get worse over time. It doesn’t change the life expectancy of someone or the quality of life, beyond needing to pay for more moisturizers or sunscreens.

·         They may be very far-sighted or near-sighted and may have other defects in the curvature of the lens of the eye (astigmatism) that cause images to appear unfocused.

·         They may have a constant, involuntary movement of the eyeball called nystagmus.

·         They may have problems in coordinating the eyes in fixing and tracking objects (strabismus), which may lead to an appearance of having "crossed eyes" at times.

·         They may have reduced depth perception due to altered nerve connections from the retina to the brain.

·         Their eyes may be very sensitive to light (photophobia) because their irises allow stray light to enter their eyes. It is a common misconception that people with albinism should not go outside on sunny days, but wearing sunglasses can make it possible to go outside quite comfortably.

 

There is no treatment that can replace the lack of melanin that causes the symptoms of albinism. In addition, doctors can only treat, but not cure, the eye problems that often accompany the lack of skin color.