By Aluta News
Dec. 1, 2022
Mr Jake Epelle, the Founder of The Albino Foundation (TAF), says the free skin cancer treatment enjoyed by
Persons With Albinism (PWA) in the past has not been reinstated.
He said this on Thursday in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN recalls that the foundation said it had referred about 5000 PWA to the National Hospital, Abuja, costing more than N30 million.
The intervention was in response to the recognition that PWA had severe issues with skin cancer and the government established the first free skin cancer treatment to alleviate their pain.
Epelle added that “unfortunately, we have not been able to get them to reinstate treatment but there are talks both at the commission and at some government level and it hasn’t yielded tangible open result.
“However, I am working remotely and by the time what I am working on becomes a reality, I will be happy.”
The TAF founder, therefore, advised PWA with skin issues to first of all go to their family members to let them know what they are going through.
He added that they should then go to a dermatologist to give them the true position of their ailment.
He explained that the foundation presently could not fund treatment of skin cancer because it was an intervention agency running on a budget by development partners.
“If we have a development partner that says okay, here is N5000 for the treatment of PWA with skin cancer, of course, we will make that available to them.
“But you know, the truth is, it is not sustainable that’s why we have not been able to get anybody to give us specific intervention.
“However, if any private sector person or even the development partner is willing to do that, we will be more than happy to run it in the most transparent manner.”
NAN reports that the lack of melanin and exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of skin cancer for PWA.
NAN