The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on September 5, 2025, that sunscreen is now on its Model List of Essential Medicines, a landmark move to protect people with albinism from skin cancer. This reclassification from cosmetic to essential medicine ensures better access, especially in high-UV regions like East Africa.
Dr. Satendra Singh, a leading disability rights activist and founder of Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change, spearheads this campaign. In April 2025, his group urges WHO's Expert Committee to recognize sunscreen as an essential medicine. "We view this as a crucial step in addressing albinism as both a health and human rights concern," Dr. Singh asserts. His organization, composed of health professionals with disabilities, champions equitable access to sun protection amid escalating UV exposure from climate change.
According to Shining Light on Albinism: A Family Case Series published in JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, "Albinism is a common hereditary condition characterized by the absence or reduction of melanin production in melanocytes, resulting in the distinctive white appearance of the skin, hair, and eyes." The incidence of albinism varies across populations, with a higher prevalence observed in regions with darker skin tones, such as Africa, where the incidence is approximately 1 in 200 individuals. In contrast, in regions with predominantly light-colored skin, like Europe, albinism is less prevalent, affecting approximately 1 in 2000 individuals.(1)
The WHO specifies that effective sunscreens must offer SPF 50+ and block both UVA and UVB rays, adhering to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) benchmarks. Approved active ingredients include zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and various organic filters, ensuring broad protection without mandating a single formula.(2)
The UN Independent Expert on the Rights of Persons with Albinism, alongside the Global Albinism Alliance, submits a comprehensive application in late 2024. It emphasizes sunscreen’s role in preventing conditions like actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma. Studies reveal that people with albinism in high-UV regions, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America, often develop skin cancer by age 20 and rarely live past 30 without protection. Prevalence varies: 1 in 14,000 to 17,000 in Western societies, compared to 1 in 1,500 to 15,000 in African countries, as per WHO.(2)
Research highlights that regular sunscreen use significantly reduces treatment costs for UV-related diseases while improving quality of life. In resource-limited areas where sunscreen is often unaffordable, its inclusion on the WHO Essential Medicines List enables governments to prioritize procurement and distribution through public health initiatives.
The WHO as well as several governmental agencies generally recommend sunscreen to be applied 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours for all exposed parts of the body when exposed to the sun.
For the whole body of one average adult person the recommended dosage (2 mg/cm²) corresponds to approximately 35 ml or 9 teaspoons of sunscreen: one teaspoon each to left arm/forearm, right arm/forearm, and face + scalp + neck, and two teaspoons each to the torso, right thigh/leg, and left thigh/leg.(2)
References:
1. Rajashekar T. S., Suresh Kumar K., Bv Vaishnavi, Swathi P. V., Akshata Y. S., Harihara S., and Hanumanthayya K. "Shining Light on Albinism: A Family Case Series." Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences 13, no. 4 (December 28, 2023): 126–129. https://doi.org/10.58739/jcbs/v13i4.23.47. SRS Journal
2. Miti-Drummond, Muluka-Anne, and the Global Albinism Alliance. "Application to Add SPF50+ Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and Model List of Essential Medicines for Children for Persons with Albinism." World Health Organization, November 1, 2024. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/2025-eml-expert-committee/addition-of-new-medicines/a.25_sunscreen.pdf. World Health Organization