Context:- International Color Blindness (Albinism) Awareness Day is observed annually on 13 June.
About:
- The theme for International Albinism Awareness Day this year is ‘United in making our voice heard‘. The General Assembly of United Nations adopted a resolution on 18th of December in 2014, proclaiming that with effect from 2015, 13th of June will be observed as International Albinism Awareness Day.
- Albinism is a non-contagious, rare and genetically inherited health condition present at birth, which results in the lack of melanin in the skin eyes and hair.
- It is causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light. Due to this, people with albinism are prone to many issues, both social and biological. Almost all people with albinism are visually impaired and are prone to developing skin cancer.
- One in 17,000 people in the world is born with Albinism. As per reports, about one lakh to two lakh people in India have this condition. Albinism in India is often confused with another condition, Leucoderma, which is characterised by patchy skin colour changes.
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Albinism:
- Albinism is a group of heritable conditions associated with decreased or absent melanin in ectoderm-derived tissues (most notably the skin, hair, and eyes), yielding a characteristic decrease in skin pigmentation.
- Patients with albinism are particularly susceptible to solar damage, and these patients must utilise lifelong sun protection precautions.
- These patients should be educated on avoidance of prolonged UV light exposure and avoidance of medications that increase photosensitivity.
- This activity reviews the evaluation and management of albinism and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in the recognition and management of this condition.
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