First ever free clinic for persons with Albinism opens in Harare

Global Aid Missions, a non-governmental organization that supports people with Albinism, has opened the first ever albinism free clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The GAM Health Clinic situated at number 53 Central Avenue in Harare, will also be open to the general public.

People with Albinism (PWA) have been for a long time marginalized from the mainstream healthcare services due to stigmatization and poverty, and the purpose of this clinic is to close the gap. Our mission is to make the lives of people with Albinism a living experience through the service provision of GP Consultations, Sexual Reproductive Health Services, Ophthalmology Services, Dental Services as well as Dermatological Services. In the process, we will be collecting baseline data for the purposes of coming up with interventions towards the reduction of early life mortality for PWA. At the moment the clinic is offering GP Consultations, Family Planning Services, HIV/AIDS Testing and Counselling, Medical Examinations and Immunization. We still need assistance with capacitating the Ophthalmology, Dermatology and Dental rooms at the clinic. Nevertheless, there is some emphasis on equipping the Dermatology room as it is key for the early detection of cancerous lesions. This will greatly help with the reduction of early life mortality among people with albinism.

The Clinic Project was birthed in 2014 and the journey to the establishment of the first albinism free clinic has been an uphill task but one which has now been scaled over. Plans to open more clinics around Zimbabwe are in the pipeline. The Clinic Project is structured in such a way that it can sustain itself. People with albinism get services for free and the general public pays a subsidized charity fee.