Tanzania affirms its commitment to protect people with albinism

KIGOMA: THE Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to valuing and protecting people with disabilities, including persons with albinism, by ensuring they are given appropriate opportunities in the process of nation-building.

This was stated today 13, June 2025, by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, while representing President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan at the commemoration of the International Albinism Awareness Day, held at Mwanga Centre Grounds in Kigoma Region.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government will continue to take deliberate measures to enhance the welfare and delivery of services to persons with albinism, including their official registration, strengthening policy frameworks, and ensuring access to essential services across the country.

Highlighting the implementation of the economic empowerment program through loans from local government revenues, Prime Minister Majaliwa said that by March 2025, a total of 5.48bn/- had already been disbursed to 891 groups of people with disabilities nationwide.

He further noted that in the 2024/2025 financial year, the government has increased the grants allocated to associations for people with disabilities to 230m/-, up from 200m/- 2023/2024 fiscal year.

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Regarding healthcare services for persons with albinism, the Prime Minister stated that between July 2021 and June 2024, the government, through the Medical Stores Department (MSD), spent over 500m/- to distribute special sunscreen lotions for skin cancer protection to persons with albinism across all 26 regions of Tanzania.

“For the 2024/2025 financial year, the government has allocated 8.743bn/- for social welfare services and 182.8m/- specifically for the purchase of sunscreen lotions for persons with albinism,” the Prime Minister emphasized.