The idea that albinos are produced from sexual intercourse with women in their menses is “regrettably false” and should not be given any credence, the Africa Centre for Social Inclusion (ACSI) has said.

The Centre said in a rejoinder to such claims by the flag bearer of the All People’s Party (APC) that: “In almost all types of albinism, both parents must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves. The condition is found in both genders, regardless of ethnicity and in all countries of the world”.

Dr Hassan Ayariga linked albinism to menstrual sex when he spoke on Class FM on Tuesday, May 31.

Speaking to Prince Minkah on the Executive Breakfast Show about discrimination against Persons Living with Albinism, as well as recent fears expressed by such persons in Ghana that they risked being targeted and ritually murdered by politicians to enhance their electoral fortunes in the forthcoming November presidential and parliamentary polls, the APC flagbearer said: “I did some survey and I was told anybody can give birth to an albino, but the process is this way: ‘…If your wife is bleeding and in the process you are too hungry and you don’t want to wait until it’s over, and you decide to do the thing while she is bleeding, in the process if she gets pregnant – you know some [women] can get pregnant even while bleeding – that is when that particular child [albino] is born.’ That’s what I’m told, because of the process of blood [flow]. So, if in that process it happens that there are some women, who are too fertile even as they bleed, [then they can give birth to an albino].”

ACSI in its statement to ClassFMonline.com said it is worth noting that failing to ascribe the right attributions to albinism is as equally harmful as any other acts of discrimination and abuse of persons living with albinism (PLAs).

“We state unequivocally that Mr. Ayariga’s understanding of albinism is, unfortunately, a reflection of the growing prejudice against PLAs,” the statement added.

Read full statement below:

RE: ‘Having Intercourse With A Woman In Her Menses Produces Albinos’– Hassan Ayariga

Our attention has been drawn to the above statement attributed to Mr. Hassan Ayariga, the Presidential Candidate for the All People’s Congress (APC), during an interview with Class Fm on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 (available at http://classfmonline.com/1.9275522).

While commending the presidential hopeful for condemning acts of abuse and reported killings of albinos for ill-intended reasons by a section of the African society, the Africa Centre for Social Inclusion (ACSI) finds it imperative to correct the grave misinformation as put out by the presidential hopeful.

We wish to state that the attribution of albinos as arising from sexual intercourse with a women in her menses is regrettably false and should not be given any credence. We state herein that Mr. Ayariga’s understanding of albinism is contrary to scientific study.

Without intending any malice, we refer the APC’s presidential hopeful to the definition of albinism as put out by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) as “a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition present at birth. In almost all types of albinism, both parents must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves. The condition is found in both genders, regardless of ethnicity and in all countries of the world”.

It is worth noting that failing to ascribe the right attributions to albinism is as equally harmful as any other acts of discrimination and abuse of persons living with albinism (PLAs). We state unequivocally that Mr. Ayariga’s understanding of albinism is, unfortunately, a reflection of the growing prejudice against PLAs.

Mr. Ayariga’s statement casts a slur on PLAs and has the potency of exposing them to further public ridicule. We urge all Ghanaians to get well informed on albinism as a way of having a society where all persons including PLAs feel accepted, respected and accorded the deserving dignity.

Signed:

Adama Bukari

Founding President

Africa Centre for Social Inclusion (ACSI)

Accra, Ghana