A lesion caught early can be frozen off before it turns into cancer, and someone who learns to protect their skin may never develop one.Yet unseen,skin cancer kills 90% of people with albinism in Uganda before 40, and in rural areas neither the guidance nor the checks reach them. With our local partner Albinism Umbrella,we bring dermatology clinics to 5 district hospitals, giving 300 people with albinism skin exams, treatment on the spot and education. Preventable deaths turned into lives saved.
People with albinism are born without melanin, the body's defense against the sun, so skin cancer is their leading cause of death in Uganda. Yet it is entirely preventable: with photoprotection it never starts, and early lesions can be stopped before they turn fatal. The gap is access. Uganda has six dermatologists for over 50 million people, nearly all in cities, leaving rural areas with no specialist care and little sunscreen. With stigma keeping many away, lesions go unseen until too late.
Beyond Suncare brings the clinic to the people who need it most. With Uganda's public hospitals and Albinism Umbrella, we run dermatology clinics in 5 rural districts for 300 people with albinism. Each clinic works two ways. It prevents: families learn sun protection and receive UMOZI MAX, the SPF 50+ sunscreen we made for people with albinism in Africa. And it detects: dermatologists check the skin, treat precancerous lesions on the spot, and refer advanced cases to the Uganda Cancer Institute.
Our model, named a Best Practice by the UN in 2016 and running in Uganda since 2022, combines primary care, training for local health workers, and community awareness. Since we began, we have reached over 2,089 people with albinism and their caregivers through 114 clinics and given out 6,972 units of UMOZI MAX. But with over 8,000 people with albinism in Uganda, much remains. With the WHO recognizing sunscreen as an essential medicine in 2025, every clinic you fund drives systemic change.
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