Introduction

Albinism is a hereditary condition that causes a lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes. These individuals are at greater risk for skin cancer and often suffer from low vision or blindness. The term “Person with albinism” is preferred over “albino” as it is person-first language.

In North America, approximately 1 in 20,000 people have albinism, the rates are higher in Africa, with about 1 in 1,400 occurrences Sub-Saharan Africa.

Demographic Information

Sub-Saharan is defined as south of the Sahara, thus encompassing a number of countries. This area has a population of 1,066,283,427 with a projected growth rate of 2.66% over the next few years. This area of the world has 14.22% of the worlds population.

Key Terms

Genocide - the deliberate and systematic killing of a racial, political or cultural group.
Refugees - a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
Tribalism - allegiance to a particular tribe or ethnic group rather than to the nation-state. this is often blamed for internal conflict within Sub-Saharan states.
Zeru zeru - Ghosts or sub-human in Swahili. It also means "nothing".
Segregation - the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart.
Marginalization - treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.