Trafficking of People With Albinism Rife in Tanzania

Mohamed Dagar reports for the Institute for Security Studies, that in Tanzania, people with albinism have a price on their heads - whether dead or alive, adults or children. The country is a source for all the trafficking routes in East and Southern Africa, where markets for their body parts prosper.

Tanzania has the highest rate of people with albinism worldwide. While an estimated one in 15,000 people in Africa has the condition, it affects one out of 1,400 Tanzanians. Albinism is a rare genetic condition that limits melanin pigment in the skin, eyes and hair, making a person appear unusually light. The gene mutation associated with albinism is carried (even if not exhibited) by one in every 19 Tanzanians.

Those with the condition are socially alienated and stigmatised. Although crimes against people with albinism are underreported, the high values attached to the illicit trade make this form of human trafficking one of the most lucrative and harmful.