Project Period: Jan 2025 – Ongoing
The Albinism Konnect Sunscreen Research and Development Project is an ongoing, Zimbabwean-led innovation initiative addressing one of the most urgent yet neglected public health challenges facing persons with albinism in Zimbabwe: access to affordable, effective, and skin-appropriate sun protection in the context of poverty and climate change. People with albinism lack melanin, leaving them extremely vulnerable to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, actinic skin damage, and life-threatening skin cancers. Despite this heightened risk, sunscreen lotions remain largely inaccessible, especially in rural communities, due to high costs, import dependency, and formulations that are not designed for the unique dermatological needs of albinistic skin in Sub-Saharan climates.
Through a dedicated funding from the Open Society Foundations of Africa (OSF) and a strategic partnership with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) through its Innovation Hub, is leading a research-driven effort to develop a cost-effective, broad-spectrum SPF 30-50 sunscreen using locally available, natural ingredients. The formulation integrates green tea (Camellia sinensis), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), wheat germ oil, and nano-metric zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, combining sun protection with wound healing, anti-aging, and moisturizing properties.
The project applies rigorous scientific and ethical standards, including:
Across Zimbabwe, many people with albinism spend 7–8 months each year without sunscreen due to poverty. Some resort to unsafe substitutes such as petroleum jelly, paraffin, or wild fruit extracts, while others go without protection entirely. Commercial sunscreens, often priced from USD $15 per 200ml, are unaffordable for most households and are typically greasy, leave white residue, and lack therapeutic benefits.
This project directly responds to these realities by working to:
The primary beneficiaries are persons with albinism across Zimbabwe, particularly those in rural and climate-vulnerable areas. Indirectly, the project strengthens national research capacity, supports inclusive innovation, and contributes evidence to public health and disability policy discussions.
Importantly, members of the technical and research team include professionals with albinism, ensuring lived experience informs both product design and implementation.
The Albinism Konnect Sunscreen Project is designed as a long-term, scalable intervention, aligned with The Noble Hands Zimbabwe Trust’s broader strategy on health equity and inclusive development. Sustainability measures include:
Once fully developed and patented, the formulation will be positioned for national rollout, with the ultimate goal of making sunscreen a guaranteed, free, or highly subsidized public health commodity for persons with albinism.
This project reflects our commitment to Zimbabwean solutions for Zimbabwean challenges, rooted in science, dignity, and social justice. By bridging research, community knowledge, and policy advocacy, the Albinism Konnect Sunscreen Research and Development Project aims to save lives, restore dignity, and redefine access to preventive healthcare for persons with albinism in Zimbabwe and beyond.
