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‘Waive taxes on Albinos’ special creams’
Advancing with Renewed Hope by Promoting Access to Better Health Services and Livelihood Opportunities of Persons with Albinism
The Association of People Living with Albinism (APLA) has asked government to remove taxes on the special creams that help in treating their skins.
The APLA Chairperson, Peter Ogiki, said albinos need to apply these creams, especially when it is sunny, but the Government has been taxing even their creams under the general category of cosmetics.”Some of us are too poor to afford buying chemicals that help withstand bad weather and as a result have suffered from skin cancer,” he said.
During the United Nations Albino Awareness Day celebrations held on Tuesday at Busoga Square in Jinja, celebrated under the theme; “Advancing with Renewed Hope by Promoting Access to Better Health Services and Livelihood Opportunities of Persons with Albinism,” the albinos castigated the public for socially discriminating against them. “We are human beings like other people who equally deserve respect, care and access to all opportunities in the society without any discrimination,” Ogiki added.
The Woman Member of Parliament for Jinja District, Loy Katali, who was the guest of honour, urged parents and intending couples to always make it a point to test for albinism before marriage. “Just like people do on HIV and AIDS, we need to equally test for albinism so that we can have few babies born as albinos. Their life is short and they go through a number of challenges,” she said.
She however said that being an albino is not a curse, disease or a punishment. Albinos are not ghosts as other people assume but it is the situation they are born into and live which is beyond their own making. “It’s your right to have good education, it’s your right to make sure that whatever the Government brings is accessible and you should enjoy the social and economic programs of this Government,” she said.
She also urged people with disabilities (PWDs) to stand firm; that the Government will move with them supports them.
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