Page 10 - HOH

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 12 august 2019
When light is lethal: Moroccans struggle with skin disorder

CASABLANCA, Morocco time outside.
(AP) — Determined for her Outside of El Fatoikai's of-
7-year-old son to attend fice, families coming from
school despite a life-threat- all around Morocco sit in
ening sensitivity to sunlight, a waiting room eager for
Nadia El Rami stuck a deal their names to be called.
with the school's director: There is a rumor about a
Mustapha would be al- new XP treatment.
lowed in the classroom, but The truth is, she says, "We
only if he studies inside a only have prevention as a
cardboard box. possible treatment. These
Mustapha Redouane hap- children ... have to avoid
pily accepted the arrange- even minimum sun expo-
ment. He knew his mother's sure." The main prevention
idea would silence the measures: avoiding the sun
school's worries about his and wearing protective
condition, a rare genetic clothing, face shields and
disorder called xeroderma sunscreen.
pigmentosum, or XP, which Fatimazehra Belloucy, 25,
can make sun rays and has dealt with skin cancer
other sources of ultraviolet and other problems be-
light extremely damaging cause of XP.
to the skin and eyes. The "If only people made it
disorder is more common in In this Wednesday, July 24, 2019 photo, Mohammad, 6, who is affected by a rare disorder called easier. Their words hurt. I
North Africa than much of xeroderma pigmentosum, or XP, waits with his mother inside a hospital in Casablanca, Morocco. feel entirely alienated," she
the world. Associated Press said, describing how she
"I hate the sun anyways. It faces scared looks and
gives me blisters," he said, ments. In Morocco, families herited, XP is more common order, said Fatima El Fatoui- hateful comments as she
sitting on his mother's lap, are also fighting for recog- in populations where mar- kai, pediatric dermatology passes by. Her family limits
his face covered with the nition, government help — riage between relatives is specialist at the Ibn Rochd interactions with her, fear-
dark brown freckles that and the simple right to go high, Kraemer said. Affect- University Hospital in Casa- ful that the disease is con-
the school director consid- to school. ed children inherit two cop- blanca. tagious.
ered a distraction to other The disorder affects about ies of a mutated gene, one Without protection, few "No one would take care
students. 1 in 10,000 people in North from each parent. A 2016 XP patients in Morocco of me, so I had to do it my-
Now 8, Mustapha has al- Africa — more than 10 Moroccan government live beyond their teenage self," said Belloucy, who re-
ready had 11 operations to times the rate in Europe study estimates about 15% years, El Fatouikai said. It ceived her high school di-
remove cancerous growths and about 100 times the of marriages are between is particularly challenging ploma and is now enrolled
on his skin. rate in the United States, family members. in developing countries, in university. She hopes to
His family is among thou- according to Dr. Kenneth Living in a country where where an awareness of land work helping with the
sands around the world Kraemer, who researches the sun shines year-round the disorder and access to disease.
struggling with XP, and in- XP at the U.S. National Insti- makes them more suscep- treatments are scarce, and Most Moroccan children
creasingly sharing advice tutes of Health. tible to skin cancers that in poor, rural communities with XP don't continue their
and seeking new treat- Because the disorder is in- can be caused by the dis- where people spend more education. q

Alaska scientists say polar

bear encounters to increase

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) es in the fall, scientists said. Resident Annie Tikluk was
— Alaska scientists say the The average duration of one of the few who en-
chances of a polar bear the ice-melt season has in- countered a bear Monday
encounter have increased creased by 36 days since before neighbors scared it
after research reveals the the late 1990s, researchers off. Her daughter and two
bears are arriving on shore said. nieces were playing out-

In this April 8, 2011, photo provided by the U.S. Geological Sur- earlier and staying on land The bears are arriving "a side when "I saw the bear
vey, a polar bear walks across rubble ice in the Alaska portion longer, a report said. little bit ahead of sched- and ran out," Tikluk said.
of the southern Beaufort Sea. Scientists at the U.S. Geo- ule," said Todd Atwood, a "The main issue is that bears
Associated Press logical Survey found research wildlife biologist in the southern Beaufort are
changes in sea ice habi- leading the U.S. Geologi- now using land to an extent
tat have coincided with cal Survey's polar bear re- they haven't used it histori-
evidence that polar bears' search program. cally," Atwood said. "And
use of land is increasing, Polar bears usually come increasing activities in the
the Anchorage Daily News to shore in mid-August, but Arctic, particularly those
reported Saturday. residents have reported related to development,
The polar bears come to sightings as early as May the main consideration go-
land from the Beaufort Sea in Kaktovik, a small town ing forward is probably go-
during the ice-melt season, about 640 miles (1,030 ki- ing to be how bears and
when the sea ice breaks up lometers) north of Anchor- humans are sharing those
in the summer and refreez- age, biologists said. spaces."q