Skin Cancer Prevention

2019 So Far

By Standing Voice

July 31^st, 2019

Tanzania

The first half of 2019 has seen our Skin Cancer Prevention Programme continue to expand across Tanzania and Malawi. In Tanzania, through collaboration with the Government, Pierre Fabre Foundation and International League of Dermatology Societies the programme is now serving 5350 people with albinism across 49 clinic sites and 16 regions. This is a third of the national population of people with albinism in Tanzania. So far this year our team has visited Mara, Shinyanga, Geita, Kagera, Simiyu, Kigoma, Katavi and Tabora.

Our Skin Cancer Prevention Programme trains local dermatology professionals and health workers to deliver skin cancer education, prevention, detection and treatment to people with albinism in health facilities closest to their communities. Each clinic provides skin cancer screenings; liquid nitrogen cryotherapy; preventative education; sun-protective clothing; surgery referral where necessary; and a regular supply of Tanzanian-made sunscreen. Every year we distribute thousands of bottles of this sunscreen, which is specifically made for people with albinism and produced locally at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in Moshi.

An early highlight this year came in April, when Manielle Brummelaar (pictured left) joined our team to support clinical delivery in Kigoma and Katavi. Manielle is a surgical assistant working in skin cancer treatment in the Netherlands, and lent additional expertise to our team of community dermatologists. Mannielle delivered training alongside our Tanzanian experts Drs Mavura and Iraba to whom we also express gratitude. In Kigoma, we also engaged a new graduate from the Regional Dermatology Training Centre for enrolment into the programme.

Malawi

In Malawi, our programme has continued to serve people with albinism and their families in the districts of Mangochi and Machinga. In April, four clinics were held in Mangochi, reaching 244 patients with albinism and referring nine for surgical treatment. The same month, three clinics were held in Machinga, reaching 99 patients and referring 11 for surgery. In only our second visit to Machinga, we were delighted to see a sharp increase in patient attendance, and increased investment from local partners and authorities. For one clinic, the local MP offered us use of her private ambulance to raise awareness of the clinic and facilitate patient transport.

In total, we are now serving 457 people with albinism in Malawi.

We extend thanks to the Red Cross, who arranged for people with albinism to be collected and brought to the clinic in their ambulances, and the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi, who assisted with the mobilisation of patients through radio communication.

When we return to Mangochi region in October 2019 we hope to open two new clinic sites in Katuli and Malombe.

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Dr Sarah McDonald, a medical practitioner from Australia, and Dr Fergal Maloney, a leading dermatologist from Mater Hospital in Dublin, who mentored our local district health workers in Machinga this year.

We also extend thanks to the central hospital in Lilongwe, which has agreed to support our histology study, and to a palliative care home facility in Salima, where care home staff held training workshops and assisted us in the development of our palliative care plans. Sincere thanks also goes to Dr Kelvin Mponda who continues to be a leading advocate and supporter of our work in Malawi.

‘I can sleep after the operation. Before, my cheek was painful and would bleed – I could not do any work at home or move around the market’.

-- Amina John (Patient)

‘The clinics were very well attended. We saw a number of children who needed to be encouraged to take better care in the sun. The programme is successfully attracting new patients with severe sun damage.’

-- Fredrick Mtoto (Clinician)

‘This was my first time working with Standing Voice. I have been at this hospital for a long time but I’ve never worked on such an important programme before. We need to do more to reach out to people with albinism as they are very vulnerable; there have been terrible killings in Machinga’.

-- Fulani Malata (Clinician)

It has been a successful few months for the Skin Cancer Prevention Programme, a trend we aim to continue as the year moves ahead! Thank you to all of our partners and supporters for continuing to make this life-saving initiative possible.