Ngoni Dapira 

The Bulawayo based non-profit making organisation, Noble Hands Zimbabwe, held its 6th edition of the Derma-surgical mobile clinic outreach at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare last Saturday. Running under the theme, “Albinism Konnect: Vikela (prevent) skin cancer,” the mobile clinic was organised in partnership with Global Cleft Foundation, specialist dermatologist Dr Donald Mutangadura and the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other stakeholders.

Noble Hands Zimbabwe founder and executive director Willard Musiyarira said this year with the forecasted super El Nino more needs to be done for people with albinism (PWA) in Zimbabwe and globally at large who face severe challenges of high health risks from solar radiation. He buttressed that the myriad of challenges PWA face are now from climate-related health.

During the outreach 178 beneficiaries received free dermatological and surgical services. Musiyarira said the PWA came from Nyanga, Chipinge, Buhera, Mutasa and Mutare urban and rural. “Eight major surgical operations were done sending patients smiling and mental health support services were also offered to all beneficiaries. Each beneficiary got three sunscreen lotions, two lip balms and a sunhat and reimbursed transport costs and provided lunch since the outreach ran throughout the day,” he said.

Musiyarira urged government to consider implementing additional policy and legal measures to ensure that PWA receive adequate care in health facilities, including accurate health information from health care providers and free access to skin cancer screening, treatment and prevention measures, such as free access to sunscreen lotions.

He added that skin cancer remains the leading cause of preventable death and premature mortality among persons with albinism in Zimbabwe, with advocacy groups estimating that roughly one (1) in three (3) individuals with the condition die from skin cancer before the age of 40.