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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 3 March 2020
People with albinism issued with protective alarms in Malawi

By KENNETH JALI provide enough security.
BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — We also have told them to
On a sunny February day, walk with company and in
Catherine Amidu looked groups made up of people
downcast. The protective they rely and trust."
alarm she received in Oc- In a low-tech alternative to
tober had not been work- the alarms, the association
ing for close to two weeks, has encouraged people
she said. with albinism to buy whistles
The 17-year-old with albi- to help alert neighbors in
nism survived an attempt case of emergency.
on her life in 2017 when un- Abdulrazak Baison, chair-
known attackers whisked man of the association's
her from her Malawi home chapter in Machinga, said
in the middle of the night they were sidelined when
but quickly abandoned her the personal alarms were
when villagers intervened. handed out.
She now sees the new "We cannot even say how
keychain-like alarm as the many alarms have been
best way to alert others in distributed because the
case of another attack. police were distributing
"Without it, it means I don't them without involving us,"
have protection at all," she he said.
said. "What will I do when He warned that some peo-
the people return to finish In this photo taken Sunday, Feb, 9, 2020, Catherine Amidu, right, with her best neighbourhood ple were putting too much
what they started?" friend Aisha at her home in Machinga, Malawi. faith in the alarms and en-
People with albinism in sev- Associated Press couraged them to main-
eral African countries live tain any previous security
in fear of being abducted Malawi have been killed gan distributing personal "One time, the alarm ran measures.
and killed because of the while 11 remain missing, security alarms. Authorities out of batteries and I took it "Those that had people ac-
widespread but mistaken according to the national say the sound the alarm to police for charging, only companying them in their
belief that their body parts Association of Persons with produces when a pin is to collect it sometime later houses for security at night
carry special powers. Be- Albinism. pulled alerts people in in the same day. The prob- should not stop because
cause of the superstition On Feb. 24, the United nearby neighborhoods to lem is that it does not have they have received alarms.
surrounding people with Nations office in Malawi assist whenever a person any accessories like an The community surround-
albinism, their body parts condemned a new at- with albinism is in danger. electric charger one can ing the house of a person
can be sold for thousands tack in which a 92-year-old At least 5,000 of the alarms use to recharge," Stephano with albinism should always
of dollars. woman with albinism was have been distributed to said. be alert," Baison said.
Amidu's home district of assaulted by people who people with albinism, Ma- Mercy Mleme, secretary of Inspector Chance Chifum-
Machinga has more peo- cut off two of her toes. The lawi's finance minister, Jo- the local chapter of the As- bi, the community policing
ple with albinism than any- U.N. noted a spike in such seph Mwanamvekha, told sociation of Persons with Al- officer for Malawi's south-
where else in Malawi, with attacks and killings during parliament on Feb. 21. binism, acknowledged the ern region, said access to
over 3,000. The southern election tensions last year. Catherine's mother, Chrissy problems. batteries that power the
African nation has more At the request of the Asso- Stephano, said the alarms "Being a rural area, we do alarms is the main problem.
than 134,000 people with ciation of Persons with Albi- offer hope but shortcom- not have electricity. Even "Apart from sounding the
albinism, representing 0.8% nism, President Peter Muth- ings exist. in a case where we had alarm, they also are sup-
of the total population, ac- arika last year appointed She said her daughter is power, most persons with posed to flash the light
cording to the national sta- a commission of inquiry to lucky that the local chap- albinism live in the remot- wherever they are hiding so
tistics office in 2018. investigate the abductions ter of the Association of est of areas and cannot that people notice where
The vulnerability of people and killings. Its results have Persons with Albinism in manage to charge their they are," she said. "Instead
with albinism is compound- not yet been released. Malawi managed to bring gadgets," Mleme said. "We of using it for the intended
ed by poverty and super- To help address the con- her a spare gadget about have advised them to take purpose, they are using the
stition. Since 2014, at least cerns, the Malawi Police two weeks after the original care of themselves be- flashlight to light up their
26 people with albinism in Service in September be- one failed. cause the alarms do not houses due to poverty. q

South Africa to repatriate citizens stranded in Wuhan, China

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press he said. public hospitals to deal with any possible infec-
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa is set to South Africa is the first country in sub-Saharan tions.
evacuate 151 citizens from the Chinese city Africa to evacuate its citizens from China and South Africa hasn't recorded any confirmed
of Wuhan as a new virus continues to spread affected areas. COVID-19 cases within its borders. Three coun-
across the globe, authorities said Sunday. The decision to evacuate the citizens follows tries in Africa — Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria —
The South Africans will be evacuated in a mili- pleas from families of South Africans still held up have reported cases of the disease. Other Af-
tary operation that will see them quarantined in Wuhan, the city identified as the main source rican countries are on alert, with some health
for 21 days after they arrive in the country, of the outbreak. experts saying several national health systems
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said. South Africa's health care facilities are ready to on the continent are weak in disease surveil-
All of the South Africans returning are healthy receive the evacuated South Africans, though lance and control.
and have tested negative for the virus, but as a these sites wouldn't be made known, Mkhize South Africa confirmed last week that two citi-
safety precaution they will be under quarantine said. zens who had been working on the Princess Di-
upon their arrival in South Africa, Mkhize said. He said the country has prepared to deal with amond cruise ship have the virus and will con-
The airlift would take place in about 10 days, the new virus and has designated selected tinue to receive treatment in Japan.q