In Tanzania, sunscreen is commonly perceived as a cosmetic product—an expensive item reserved for beach holidays, beauty routines, or the privileged few. This perception is not only inaccurate but also dangerous.
In a country located near the equator, where ultraviolet (UV) radiation is intense throughout the year, sunscreen should be understood and treated as a public health necessity. For people with albinism, sunscreen is not optional; it is essential for survival.
For people without albinism, it is a critical tool for preventing long-term skin damage and disease. Yet, high prices, limited availability, and poor public awareness continue to frame sunscreen as a luxury rather than a preventive health measure.
Tanzania’s geographic location exposes its population to high levels of UV radiation daily. Medical evidence shows that regular sun exposure without protection can cause sunburn, premature skin ageing, pre-cancerous lesions such as actinic keratosis, and ultimately skin cancer.
Higher risk
The risks are significantly higher for people with albinism, a genetic condition characterised by little or no production of melanin—the pigment that protects the skin from harmful UV rays. Although melanocytes are present in people with albinism, they are not fully functional, leaving the skin extremely vulnerable to sun damage.
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Clinicians consistently report that people with albinism who lack access to sunscreen experience chronic sunburn, permanent dark spots (lentigines), solar elastosis, and skin cancers at relatively young ages.
In many cases, deaths occur not because treatment is unavailable—it is because prevention was unaffordable or inconsistent.
Medical standards clearly state that daily use of high-SPF sunscreen (SPF 50 or above) significantly reduces UV damage and prevents most pre-cancerous and cancerous skin conditions. This is not cosmetic science; it is preventive medicine.
Misconception
A common misconception is that sunscreen is unnecessary for people without albinism. While melanin does offer some protection, it does not eliminate risk. Prolonged and cumulative sun exposure affects everyone, regardless of skin tone.
Farmers, fishermen, boda boda drivers, street vendors, construction workers, and schoolchildren spend hours outdoors daily. Over time, this exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, hyperpigmentation, eye damage, and premature ageing. Sunscreen use among the general population is therefore about prevention.
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The difference between people with albinism and those without is one of degree, not relevance. For people with albinism, sunscreen is life-saving. For others, it is protective. Both realities can exist at once.
Albinism also occurs in animals like squirrels, deer, alligators, gorillas, and orangutans. Like humans, albino animals lack functional melanin, making them vulnerable to sun damage, poor eyesight, and predation due to a lack of camouflage.
In the wild, many albino animals do not survive to adulthood. Some are easily targeted by predators, and others are hunted or poached because their rarity attracts commercial interest. Even in protected environments, vulnerability persists. Snowflake, the famous albino gorilla featured in National Geographic, died of skin cancer in 2003.
Unlike humans, animals cannot apply sunscreen, wear protective clothing, or make informed choices about sun exposure. Humans can. When people with albinism suffer from preventable skin cancer, it is not nature at work; it is a societal failure.
Shifting the narrative
In Tanzania, sunscreen is taxed, marketed, and priced as a cosmetic product. This classification increases costs and restricts access, especially for people with albinism who require daily, lifelong use.
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When sunscreen use is interrupted due to high prices or limited availability, the medical consequences are severe and often irreversible. Prevention stops, damage accumulates, and treatment becomes far more expensive than prevention ever was.
From a public health perspective, sunscreen—particularly for high-risk populations—should be classified as a preventive medical necessity, not a luxury cosmetic.
We should reconsider how sunscreen is classified, taxed, and subsidised, particularly for people with albinism. Health authorities should integrate sunscreen into preventive care guidelines and public health education.
We should shift the narrative from beauty to health. And the public must unlearn the idea that protection is indulgence. Under Tanzania’s sun, sunscreen is not about appearance. It is about prevention. And for many, it is about life.
Mariam Gichan is an archaeologist and journalist based in Dar es Salaam. She can be reached at mariamgichan@gmail.com or on +255 754 215 690. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
