Desmond Opare-Agyekum

The regression capability of STATA allowed me to model relationships between “visits to the dermatologist” and “age, gender, level of education, religion, marital status, occupation, relative to albinism, and enrolment in the National Health Insurance”. This aided in the development of visualization skills and tools for effective communication. For example, on page 8 of the manuscript report, awareness of skin cancer and other dermatological conditions was presented in a bar chart to effectively illustrate patterns.

The analysis also helped me gain a better understanding of the impact of education on People Living with Albinism in accessing health care. The findings underscore the disparities faced by People with Albinism in different geographic backgrounds in Africa compared to Ghana. The research indicates that people living with albinism have a good understanding of skin cancer, but face social and financial barriers that prevent them from accessing appropriate healthcare services.

A large majority of the participants had never visited a dermatologist because of financial constraints and limited coverage by the NHIS. Lack of access to dermatological care is a common problem in Africa and has been reported in other studies. The study also found a higher prevalence of premalignant and malignant skin lesions among participants, leading to SCC and BCC. This highlights the need for clinicians to provide appropriate screening and care to prevent the development of skin lesions in people with albinism. Policymakers must recognize the need for equitable financial support to ensure access to specialized dermatological care.

Public education is also needed to increase awareness of albinism and its associated dermatological risks. Addressing social and financial barriers to access healthcare for people with albinism in Ghana requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders to improve their quality of life. During the research process, I gained an understanding of the following entrepreneurial approaches to help people living with albinism improve their condition by seeking dermatological services.

These include the need to conduct a needs assessment to identify income-generating opportunities suitable for persons living with albinism. Handcrafting, small-scale agriculture, and beauty services are very good options. Once income-generating opportunities have been identified, training and support should be provided to enable people living with albinism to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to participate in these activities.

Training and equipping them in business management, financial literacy, and marketing will be helpful. Another approach is to establish a social enterprise that supports the income-generating activities of people living with albinism. Social enterprises can provide them with access to financing, marketing, support, and other resources that can help them succeed in their activities. Establishing a healthcare fund backed by a portion of the profits generated by social enterprises can be very helpful.

This fund can be used to provide people with albinism access to healthcare for their dermatological conditions. Most importantly, monitoring and evaluating the social enterprise to ensure that it is generating sufficient profits to support the healthcare fund and that the income-generating activities are sustainable and can provide a viable source of income for persons living with albinism is essential