Obasanjo Tasks FG on Health Policy for Albinos

Ogheneuwvede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has urged the Federal Government to sustain the policy which grants access to free healthcare to people living with albinism who suffer from skin cancer. The policy was started in 2013 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Obasanjo who said he was alarmed by the rate at which albinos become afflicted with cancer, explained that it was the lack of knowledge and information about albinism that make albinos particularly vulnerable to the disease.

“I believe that with more information and knowledge about the proper care of albinos, especially children, there will be fewer cases of people living with albinism being vulnerable to skin cancer,’’ he said.

Chief Obasanjo made these comments when a delegation from The Albino Foundation (TAF) paid a courtesy call on him at his Ota, Ogun State residence recently. He also accepted the offer of TAF to serve as co-life patron of the foundation, alongside former President Shehu Shagari.

Speaking earlier, the founder of TAF, Mr. Jake Epelle had briefed the former president on the various initiatives and programmes of the foundation and its effort to ensure mainstreaming of albinos in government policies and programmes.