Perceptions on People with Albinism in Urban Tanzania: Implications for Social Inclusion

Abstract

This article analyses the perceptions of people from urban Tanzania about individuals with albinism. It attempts to evaluate people’s understanding of albinism, their attitudes towards individuals with the condition, and perceived reasons for their inhumane treatment. The findings reported in this article were gathered from forty-seven participants from Dar es Salaam region who were purposefully selected for the study. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaire were used for data collection. Findings have indicated that to a larger extent, respondents had a poor understanding of albinism. However, on the average they felt comfortable having individuals with the condition around them. Nonetheless, respondents also had mixed responses regarding marrying people with albinism. Congruent with the existing literature, the murder are linked to superstitious practices and negative beliefs. In advancing the available literature, a discussion of these findings is offered in light of social inclusion of persons with albinism in Tanzania. To intervene, it is recommended that education should be given to the wider community to help change their perceptions about those with albinism.

Keywords

• Albinism
• Attitudes
• Murder
• Social Inclusion
• Tanzania