When Daylight Kills

It is estimated that up to one in 370 Indians suffers from XP – one of the highest incidences of the condition anywhere in the world.

Contact with UV rays causes a sufferer’s skin to pigment, burn and take on a blistering, scaly appearance.

Despite its prevalence in the country there is still enormous stigma with sufferers shunned as people believe they are cursed.

Fear around the disease is compounded by the unknown; sufferers usually stay indoors in order to avoid UV ray exposure.

Without treatment, half of those with the condition contract skin cancer by the time they turn 10.

And around a third of those with XP also suffer from a range of debilitating nervous system conditions including difficulty walking, decreased intellectual function and seizures. Without treatment, life expectancy is little over 30.

To read the published story visit When Daylight Kills: India’s XP Children.