Call for Support on International Albinism Awareness Day

Albinism, seen in one in 17,000 people worldwide, affects 4,000 people in Turkey. On 13 June World Albinism Day, Albinizm Derneği Management Board Chairman Serkan Özorman called on everyone to support their campaigns with a "selfie" and "hashtag" to raise awareness in society. Albinism is a hereditary condition passed down from generation to generation. Most children with albinism have parents with normal hair and eye color, and there is no such condition in their family history. One in 70 people carries the albinism gene. For a child to be born with albinism, both mother and father must be "albinism gene carriers." Because albinism is a recessive gene, if only one parent carries this gene, the child cannot have albinism. Albinizm Derneği Management Board Chairman Serkan Özorman explained that on 13 June World Albinism Awareness Day, they are trying to raise awareness in society about individuals with albinism, referred to as "White Angels," and the problems they face.

Sunglasses should be worn even by babies

Özorman noted that due to genetic differences, individuals with albinism have little or no melanin pigment in their body that gives color to skin, hair and eyes. "People with albinism are not blind, but their vision is not normal and this cannot be completely corrected with glasses. High degrees of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism are frequently seen. Vision rates in individuals with albinism generally vary between 5% and 20%. Among vision problems are involuntary side-to-side eye movements (nystagmus), strabismus and light sensitivity (photophobia) resulting from the iris being colorless and transparent. For photophobia, protection from the sun is possible through the use of sunglasses or color-tinted glasses. Even babies with albinism must wear sunglasses," he said.

Sunscreen creams are a vital necessity

Chairman Serkan Özorman stated that depending on the type of albinism, color pigment may be absent from the skin. "This means the skin is completely or partially unprotected against the sun. Sunscreen use is mandatory for individuals with albinism; otherwise, especially during the summer months, sunburns can occur on the skin. Prolonged and unprotected sun exposure can lead to early-onset skin cancer in people with albinism. The only way to protect against this is to use sunscreen regularly and even on cloudy days. Our recommendation for using these creams is to apply them 15-20 minutes before sun exposure to areas that directly face the sun such as the face, back of neck, ears and arms, and if you must spend a long time outdoors, the creams should be reapplied after a few hours. It is difficult to state an exact time interval for cream application in this regard, as the protective properties of creams can vary. We recommend that individuals take precautions based on their own situation and obtain the creams they will use under dermatologist supervision as a prescription. When individuals go to the beach, they should use UV-protective clothing and high-protection sunscreens generously," he said.

They succeed when given the opportunity

Özorman explained that individuals with albinism, who have striking features such as white skin and white hair in appearance, sometimes face strange looks from society, and pointed out that as awareness about albinism increases in society, these problems will decrease, and discussed the difficulties they encounter in daily and work life: "A person with albinism may have difficulty finding the bus they need to take when using public transportation. Because they cannot read the destination and district signs on buses, they often face harsh reactions when they try to confirm by asking, as it is not known that they have low vision. At the top of the problems they face in work life is the avoidance of giving them opportunities. When individuals with albinism are given opportunities and supported with vision-aid devices they need, they perform their jobs without any difference from their colleagues and are quite successful. To make the work life of individuals with albinism easier, appropriate lighting conditions can be prepared in the office or large monitors and keyboards with more distinct keys suitable for them can be chosen for their computers."

Sunscreen and magnification device assistance should be increased

Chairman Serkan Özorman provided the following information regarding the work they carry out as an association: "To improve the quality of life of individuals with albinism, as an association we first distribute sunscreen to the extent we can cover with the support made to our association. In addition, with the support provided, we make efforts to provide magnification device support to our members' children with albinism in need and try to develop projects in these areas." Stating that they try to meet their basic needs within their own organization and with support, Özorman noted that they cannot reach a sufficient number of people. Özorman also said: "We aim to conduct work with relevant ministries and departments to provide support or increase the support given in areas of basic needs for individuals with albinism such as sunscreens, large-print textbooks and storybooks, telescopic glasses and magnification devices."

Support the campaign with a selfie

On 13 June International Albinism Awareness Day, Serkan Özorman, expecting support from everyone for the campaign they launched on social media as an association, said: "In line with the purpose of the campaign determined to draw attention to the fact that individuals with albinism have low vision and their sun sensitivity, Instagram users can take a selfie by placing their hands over their eyes - that is, on their forehead - as if shielding themselves from the sun. Those who want to support can share the selfies they take on their social media accounts with the designated hashtags. Shares from people who tag the association's Instagram account (@albinizmdernegi) in their posts will also be shared from the association account. Hashtags to be used: #Madetoshine #parlamakiçinyaratılmış #albinizmderneği #IAAD #birliktedahagucluyuz

As Pierre Fabre, we will continue our support for people with albinism

Dr. Hande Demirdere, General Manager of Pierre Fabre, one of Europe's leading pharmaceutical and dermocosmetic companies, who ran with employees to support Albinizm Derneği and raise awareness at the 41st Istanbul Marathon held in November last year, stated that they will continue their support for people with albinism: "As the Pierre Fabre family, we believe we differentiate ourselves in the sector through our broad portfolio of natural products, our emphasis on expertise, our consumer protection approach and the social responsibility projects we carry out around the world as a foundation company. We are proud to be part of a group that not only supports the development of new products with a portion of our profits, but also produces sustainable projects for the public benefit thanks to our foundation status. Using sunscreen is vital for individuals with albinism, whose skin is unprotected against sun rays and who have a higher risk of developing skin cancer and skin diseases. Pierre Fabre is an authoritative institution worldwide with products developed on sun protection and skin health. At this point, we at Pierre Fabre Turkey support Albinizm Derneği by providing our sunscreen products developed with natural and special contents and fulfill our responsibility."

About Pierre Fabre:

The pharmacy founded in 1951 by Monsieur Pierre Fabre, a visionary botanist pharmacist and passionate entrepreneur, has today transformed into a group of international companies operating in the fields of oncology, women's health, urology, consumer health and dermocosmetics. Pierre Fabre Laboratories serves as the second largest independent private pharmaceutical laboratory in Europe. Using what nature provides while developing its products, the group dedicates a meaningful portion of its revenue to comprehensive social responsibility projects through the Pierre Fabre Foundation, and this work has been rated with an Excellence certificate by Eccocert. The Pierre Fabre Group, which opens to the world without ever breaking from its roots and values, dedicates a meaningful portion of its revenue through the Pierre Fabre Foundation to projects bringing healthcare to people, particularly in Africa and the Far East. Each year, the group allocates a meaningful portion of its profits to research and development activities it conducts in the fields of oncology and dermatology. Pierre Fabre operates with the awareness that all kinds of beauty must first come from health; in addition, thanks to its botanist identity, it develops its products using the most natural methods. https://www.pierre-fabre.com.tr/