BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdx4g2pke12o
Dear HIFA colleagues,
Today is election day in Tanzania but you will not see people with albinism coming out to vote.
Superstition and traditional beliefs are accentuated at election time.
'Albinism, which affects an estimated 30,000 people in Tanzania, is a rare genetic condition that reduces melanin - the pigment that gives colour to skin, eyes and hair...'
'Superstition has made those with the condition targets. The false belief that body parts of people with albinism bring wealth, luck, or political success have driven attacks and killings across Tanzania...'
'There have been 211 such incidents in Tanzania since 2008: 79 people have been killed; 100 people were mutilated but survived...'
'Awareness drives, civil society programmes, and school inclusion initiatives have helped reduce attacks in some areas.'
'Communities are slowly beginning to understand that people with albinism are not cursed and that superstitions can have deadly consequences.'
'But the murder last year of two-year-old Asimwe Novath, abducted from her home in Kagera region, was a reminder that the issue has not gone away.'
We wish all 190 HIFA members in Tanzania a peaceful conclusion to the election.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org