THE huge cost of sunscreens and other body creams used by people with skin conditions such as vitiligo is preventing many from accessing the essential commodities, exposing them to skin diseases including skin cancers.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
In some instances, people have to folk out not less US$20 every month for a bottle of sunscreen. This emerged during a vitiligo commemoration organized by Lancet Laboratories on Thursday where people with vitiligo said sunscreen products are expensive.
Lancet, can we please have affordable sunscreen because sunscreen is very expensive and affordable doctors,” said a chef with vitiligo Ms Rumbidzai Mugabe better known as Chef Rumbie in social media circles.
Mr Prosper Zoto, who also has this condition said duties imposed on the topical creams and sunscreens they use are making these products expensive.
“We need to have an emissary sent to the Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care to lobby for duty-free sunscreens and creams which are expensive to many,” he said.
Commenting on the expensiveness of the medical products used by people with vitiligo, Dr Mwatsveruka Munhutu, a dermatologist, said aside from relying on sunscreen, they can also avoid the sun which emits ultraviolet rays which are dangerous.
“Sunscreens do tend to run on the expensive side. If you were to walk into a pharmacy, you would need US$20 to buy a bottle of sunscreen. That might only last you one month. It is a very steep cost for one who does not have means to pay for it.
“However I do advocate that people prioritise their skin especially if they have skin conditions that make them more prone to skin cancer.
“When looking at a family budget especially with young children to try and make that money available and get that sunscreen.
“There is also sun avoidance, such as wearing of hats. Things that are repeatable. Making sure that you do not go out when the sun is very high in the sky,” she said.
She also noted that lifestyle changes are important.
“And of course what we might call lifestyle modification factors. People have to remember it is not the sun when its sunny but also on a cloudy day, UV radiation that is what is harmful t skin, so people with vitiligo, albinism and who have another condition called xeroderma pigmentosa. These are key conditions where we know skin cancer can be very, very high in those individuals if they are not avoiding the sun,” Dr Munhutu said.
Dr Munhutu also said no one is manufacturing sunscreen locally.
“Because some of these conditions like vitiligo, albinism affect tend to affect what we might call a minority as a population, it is something that has not been thought of as necessary in people with normal African pigmentation hat they need sunscreen.
“Science has shown us that sunscreen is useful. It is not only useful in people with pigmentary disorders or lack of pigmentation but it is useful for you and I. Maybe for cosmetic reasons in our skin because our skin has melanin and it is protective from the sun.
“But certainly people who don’t have melanin definitely need to have access to melanin. And the unfortunate thing is that locally there is no real big manufacturer of these products time I delved into this was several years ago unless recently there is a manufacturer locally that I am not aware of. But to my knowledge, most sunscreens are imported protects.
She said sunscreens are usually categorized as comestic products hence the steep price.
“And unfortunately because of that and because they are in the cosmetic category, they are heavily dutied in order for them to come into the country. It comes relatively unaffordable, almost a luxurious item for others.