ISDIN and África Directo have provided skin cancer treatment to over 5,200 people with albinism in Mozambique.

ISDIN , a leading international laboratory in photoprotection and dermatology, and the África Directo Foundation have assisted more than 5,200 people with albinism in Mozambique since 2022 to prevent and treat skin cancer , which particularly affects this community. In their sixth medical expedition – October 2025 – a team of 17 volunteer dermatologists from around the world traveled to six Mozambican provinces and treated 1,292 people with this genetic condition in just 10 days.

The healthcare professionals, from eight countries—Spain, Brazil, Chile, the United States, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Portugal— have performed skin examinations , cryotherapy treatments to remove small precancerous lesions , and 329 surgeries on children and adults to remove skin cancers. Furthermore, this year's expedition , the largest to date , has expanded to include new areas of operation in the provinces of Inhambane and Nampula , in addition to Tete, Gaza, Sofala, and Maputo.

"Ninety-eight percent of people with albinism in Mozambique don't reach the age of forty, and skin cancer is the leading cause of death . This is unthinkable today in more developed countries," explains Cristina Abellaneda , a Spanish dermatologist and expedition leader. The country's lack of resources—it has barely 20 dermatologists for more than 35 million inhabitants—as well as the high prevalence of albinism on the African continent —10 times higher than in other regions like Europe or North America—highlight the need for dermatological expeditions .

The ISDIN and Africa Direct Foundation project also promotes awareness of the importance of sun protection as an essential tool for reducing the incidence of skin cancer . This year, the Sun Protection Campaign for Families was organized, in which 165 children with albinism participated in a day that combined dermatological checkups and outdoor recreational activities. " Dermatology is much more than cosmetics ... It can save lives. And being able to identify a child and potentially prevent their premature death is indescribable," says Latanya Benjamin , the American pediatric dermatologist who is part of the expedition.

The awareness-raising work that has been carried out since the first expedition is already beginning to show visible results . "The results of each expedition show us that we are on the right track: in the city of Xai-Xai , for example, one of the first places where we intervened, there have been days when nearly 80 visits were made and not a single tumor was detected ," explains Juan Naya , CEO of ISDIN , who also participated in the expedition.

Comprehensive care

The genetic condition of albinism often leads to significant visual impairments due to a lack of pigment in the retina. To provide more comprehensive care , this expedition, for the first time, included the participation of an optometrist, thanks to a collaboration with the Barraquer Foundation .

Beyond the health sector, people with albinism in Mozambique continue to be subjected to serious human rights violations , suffering discrimination, mutilation, and even murder due to false beliefs and myths about this group.

The assistance provided during the expedition has also contributed to the inclusion and recognition of this group . Thus, the transformative impact of the project extends beyond the clinical sphere, offering hope, dignity, and visibility to a historically marginalized group . "I remember a patient who, after the procedure, knelt on the ground and made a gesture as if in prayer, as if he were praying and thanking me. Something that had never happened to me before," says Pietro Sollena , an Italian dermatologist and also the expedition leader.

ISDIN is also supporting the training of hundreds of healthcare professionals in Mozambique through the International School of Derma (ISD) specialized program on albinism and skin cancer . To date, 207 participants—including physicians and medical students—from Mozambique have enrolled in the course, which aims to strengthen their knowledge of preventing , detecting, and treating skin cancers in people with albinism. Among those enrolled, 67 are doctors from hospitals across the country, and 140 are students from institutions such as Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo , and the Catholic University of Mozambique and Zambeze University in Beira .