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By Peter Otieno
Nairobi– On June 25th each year, the world takes a moment to celebrate World Vitiligo Day. Faced with the harsh realities of life in Congo, the Congolese Vitiligo Association (ACV) convened in Goma on July 8, 2026, to convey a message of hope, strength, and a rabid call for systemic change.
The event, which bears the global theme *”From Stigma to Strength: Amplifying the Voices of People Living with Vitiligo”*, was a celebration of identity and a reminder to challenge the entrenched stigma and prejudices that are experienced by millions of people around the world each day.
More Than Skin Deep
The Human Reality of Vitiligo is that it is a chronic, totally non-contagious skin condition resulting in a loss of pigment. However, the most severe are social and psychological. People with vitiligo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and around the world routinely face significant discrimination, social isolation, and psychological anguish.
“Each and every individual person living with this disorder is unique, has a dignity and unlimited potential,” said ACV Founding President Benjamin Akimali Myatsi in his official address.
Our job, as a people, as a society, is to create a community where these voices are not merely listened to but valued and welcomed.
The ACV’s objective is not just for one day of awareness but an ongoing organized struggle for medical equality and human rights. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—specifically focusing on Good Health (SDG 3), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Peace and Justice (SDG 16)—the association is actively working to: Protect Human Dignity: Defending the fundamental rights of every individual with vitiligo.Disseminating information to local communities to help change entrenched social stigma and harmful superstitions.Accessible Healthcare: Advocating for quality, complete dermatological and mental health care.Drive Research: Work together to collect data and health education globally to learn more about the disease.
The ACV is calling on all Congolese people who suffer from the condition to join the international VIPOC Global Patient Survey 2026 as part of this global initiative. This key project seeks to identify real-life experiences of patients to help inform policy decisions for the future, as well as access to treatment and international advocacy.
“Advocacy groups alone cannot achieve a breakthrough in progress. The ACV concluded its address with a call to action for the public authorities, the academic world, the medical community, civil society and private sector donors. There was a strong message that patients need to be aware and that there should be funding for patient-led initiatives at the grassroots level and funding for specialist care networks.
World Vitiligo Day should not be limited to a line on the calendar but should be a lifelong journey of creating a society where no human being is marginalized due to the colour or appearance of the skin,” Myatsi said.
The association’s slogan, ‘Unity in Difference’, remains an everlasting reminder to the DRC and the world that we can create a more equitable, inclusive and deeply compassionate nation through the collective creation of vulnerability.
