Persons with albinism in Tanzania have historically suffered multifaceted discrimination in various spheres of society. They have often been attacked, killed, hunted for body parts, or mutilated. Children have been specifically abducted or killed for the purposes of sale of their person or their body parts. In 2018, three NGOs, the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) and the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), brought a complaint regarding this situation.
On 5 February 2025, the African Court issued its judgment.[1] The Court found that Tanzania had done little to address issues faced by persons with albinism. It should have put effective protective measures in place, punished those responsible for crimes against persons with albinism, and it should have undertaken awareness-raising campaigns to combat the root of the stigma, that is the myths and stereotypes relating to albinism. Furthermore, the Court recognized that persons with albinism have a skin condition which mean that they need sunscreen, wide hats and sunglasses for their survival, and that they suffer psychological harm due to the abuses, seclusion, fear, and the discrimination they live with. In this regard, not only was Tanzania not providing them with basic needs for their physical and mental health, but they also faced discriminatory attitudes which impeded further their access to medical care.
