IAAD 2025!
The theme for IAAD 2025 is: “Demanding our rights: Protect our skin, Preserve our lives”.
This theme highlights the urgent need for awareness, prevention, and access to essential healthcare for persons with albinism, emphasising the life-threatening impact of skin cancer and the importance of protection, early detection, and treatment. It also ties well with ongoing advocacy around the addition of sunscreen to the WHO EML.
The theme calls on authorities to:
- Recognize that the failure to prevent skin cancer related deaths – which are foreseeable, yet preventable – in persons with albinism constitutes not only a violation of the right to health, but also the right to life
- Take steps to prevent skin cancer related deaths in persons with albinism, including through skin cancer screening and provision of sunscreen
- Add sunscreen to the WHO Essential Medicines List and national essential drug list
- Ensure data on skin cancer prevalence is disaggregated to reflect the number of persons with albinism affected by skin cancer
Albinism groups are invited to:
- Reflect and share information on cases of skin cancer in their country
- Celebrate and share advances in skin cancer prevention and treatment
- Highlight further action required
Past themes:
2024: 10 years of IAAD: A decade of collective progress
2023: Inclusion is Strength
2022: United In Making Our Voice Heard
2021: Strength Beyond All Odds
2020: Made To Shine
2019: Still Standing Strong
2018: Shining our light to the world
2017: Advancing with renewed hope
2016: Protect our rights, celebrate diversity
2015: Persons with albinism, worthy of respect and dignity
History of IAAD ~ Learn More ~ IAAD Events
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History of International Albinism Awareness Day
On December 18, 2014, the United Nations’ General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing June 13th as International Albinism Awareness Day. This historic resolution confirmed the global focus on albinism advocacy. NOAH joins with the worldwide albinism community in encouraging everyone to celebrate and promote albinism awareness on June 13th each year.
The late Ambassador of the Mission of Somalia to the U.N., Geneva, Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, led the effort to pass the resolution in cooperation with Under the Same Sun, an organization that promotes and protects the rights of people with albinism, particularly in Africa. Shortly thereafter, NOAH participated in a U.N. “side event” to celebrate the adoption of the resolution. The late Excellency Bari-Bari made opening and closing remarks at the event, which included sharing a story with Pope Francis in which he informed the Pontiff of the atrocities committed against people with albinism in Africa. Many other dignitaries also attended the event, and each made brief statements in support of the resolution. These attendees included representatives from the U.N. delegations from Italy, Israel, Canada and the United States, the U.N. Special Representative on Violence against Children, a representative from UNICEF, and several key individuals in the albinism community.
Learn More About IAAD & Albinism
To learn more about International Albinism Awareness Day, check out these online resources:
International Albinism Awareness Day Facebook Page
International Albinism Awareness Day
History of International Albinism Awareness Day
Meet the Champions of the Albinism Cause: (United Nations Human Rights’ Albinism website)
Video Poem by Gcina Vabaza (Viewer Advisory: This video contains serious content intended for mature audiences. Graphic images included may not be suitable for young viewers.)
IAAD Events!
Planning an event for IAAD? Let us know! Email info@albinism.org with all the details so we can help spread the word.
Share on Social Media!
Looking for a simple way to spread the word about IAAD to your friends and family on social media? Click any image to view it fullscreen, then right click to download to your device for easy sharing!
Questions? Contact Us!
Email: IAAD@albinism.org
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