ArticleBMC public health2006
Albinism in Africa as a public health issue.
Article in BMC public health, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 216 citations in OpenAlex.
- Determining a Worldwide Prevalence of Oculocutaneous Albinism: A Systematic Review.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2023Pooled it
- The prevalence of epidermal skin malignancies in people living with oculocutaneous albinism attending the Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein, South Africa.Dermatology reports · 2026Article
- Living in the sun's shadow: Skin cancer and albinism in Senegal.JAAD international · 2026Article
- A Dosage-Dependent Dominant-Negative Mechanism of SLC45A2(W74R) in Autosomal Dominant Oculocutaneous Albinism Revealed by Zebrafish Modeling.Translational vision science & technology · 2026Article
- Prevalence and geographical distribution of persons with albinism (PWA) in Togo in 2024.PloS one · 2026Article
- Can a Portable Flash Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) Device Identify Chiasmal Decussation Anomalies in Albinism?Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Albinism research in a Southern African setting: unique findings.Journal of community genetics · 2025Review
- The triple burden: achieving sexual and reproductive health equity for young women with albinism in Rwanda.The Pan African medical journal · 2025Article
- Why humans evolved blue eyes.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- [A case for the inclusion of oculocutaneous albinism as a skin-related Neglected Tropical Disease].Medecine tropicale et sante internationale · 2023Article
- Unprotected: the consequences of climate change for the health of persons with albinism.BMJ global health · 2023Article
- Impaired Direction Selectivity in the Nucleus of the Optic Tract of Albino Mice.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2023Article
- Development and usability evaluation of a mHealth application for albinism self-management.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2023Article
- Article
- Oculocutaneous albinism: epidemiology, genetics, skin manifestation, and psychosocial issues.Archives of dermatological research · 2023Review
- Clusters of oculocutaneous albinism in isolated populations in Brazil: A community genetics challenge.Genetics and molecular biology · 2023Article
- Endogenous DOPA inhibits melanoma through suppression of CHRM1 signaling.Science advances · 2022Article
- Spectrum of skin diseases in Maroon villages of the Maroni area, French Guiana.International journal of dermatology · 2022Article
- First observation of a chimpanzee with albinism in the wild: Social interactions and subsequent infanticide.American journal of primatology · 2022Article
- Prevalence of Squamous and Basal Cell Carcinomas in African Albino Skin Cancer Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Proportion.Journal of skin cancer · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetically inherited autosomal recessive condition and OCA2, tyrosine-positive albinism, is the most prevalent type found throughout Africa. Due to the lack of melanin, people with albinism are more susceptible to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure. This population must deal with issues such as photophobia, decreased visual acuity, extreme sun sensitivity and skin cancer. People with albinism also face social discrimination as a result of their difference in appearance. The World Health Organization is currently investigating the issues concerning this vulnerable population.
methodsSystematic electronic search of articles in PubMed concerning albinism in Africa. Furthermore, a World Health Organization (WHO) pilot survey of albinism was drafted in English, French and Portuguese, and distributed to African countries through WHO African Regional Offices (AFRO) in an attempt to gather further information on albinism.
resultsEpidemiologic data on albinism, such as prevalence, were available for South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Nigeria. Prevalences as high as 1 in 1,000 were reported for selected populations in Zimbabwe and other specific ethnic groups in Southern Africa. An overall estimate of albinism prevalences ranges from 1/5,000-1/15,000. In addition, both the literature review and the survey underscored the medical and social issues facing people with albinism.
conclusionThe estimated prevalence of albinism suggests the existence of tens of thousands of people living with albinism in Africa. This finding reiterates the need for increased awareness of and public health interventions for albinism in order to better address the medical, psychological and social needs of this vulnerable population.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.