Health screening carried out for people with albinism in the Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

Health screening was carried out for 35 people with albinism living in the Banaadir region and sunscreen, sunglasses and clothes were provided for them to protect from sun.

Albinism, a genetic disease where there is too little or no pigment in the skin, eye or hair, is taken as bad luck in some parts of Africa due to superstitions. Having a hard time taking part in social life, people with albinism fall behind in finding jobs and taking advantage of the opportunity to study.

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Somalia, İbrahim Mete Yağlı; TİKA’s Coordinator in Somalia, İlhami Turus; Director of Mogadishu Municipality Public and Social Department, Mohamed Hassan Mahamud and Türkiye’s Counsellor for Religious Services, Ömer Faruk Arslan attended the meeting with people with albinism.

Expressing his pleasure because of TİKA’s support for people with albinism in his speech, Somalia Ambassador, Yağlı stated that they will always be there for the friendly and brotherly people of Somalia.

TİKA’s Coordinator in Somalia, Turus, mentioned that TİKA is carrying out projects from education to health, infrastructure to agriculture throughout the country and as part of the social responsibility projects, the support for disadvantaged groups has been implemented.