Human Rights Watch calls for sunscreen access for albinism

A tube of SPF 50+ sunscreen costs more than a day's wages in several of the countries where people with albinism face the highest UV exposure. That gap, between need and access, sits at the centre of a new report from Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch has called on governments to ensure that people with albinism can access adequate sun protection as a matter of essential healthcare. The organisation framed sunscreen not as a cosmetic product but as a medical necessity — one that directly affects life expectancy.

People with albinism produce little or no melanin, the pigment that shields skin and eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Without consistent sun protection, Human Rights Watch reported, they face significantly elevated rates of skin cancer, particularly in equatorial regions of sub-Saharan Africa where UV levels are among the highest recorded globally.

Skin cancer remains one of the leading causes of early death among people with albinism in low-income countries, according to organisations working in the field. Human Rights Watch has documented cases in which people went without sunscreen for weeks or months at a time due to cost or unavailability.

The report called on health ministries to include high-SPF sunscreen on national essential medicines lists, a designation that can unlock subsidised pricing and public distribution. It also called on international donors to treat sun protection as part of broader disability and health equity programming.

Access is uneven even within countries. Human Rights Watch noted that people in rural areas often face greater barriers than those in urban centres, where pharmacies and clinics are more concentrated.

The report adds to a growing body of documentation linking sunscreen access directly to health outcomes — and to the right to life — for people with albinism worldwide.