The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has expressed concern over the use of bleaching creams in the country, which it said is capable of increasing the rate of cases of cancer.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye who spoke at the North-Central Zonal Media Sensitization Workshop on the Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Control held in Jos, Plateau State, said a World Health Organization (WHO) study has revealed that 77 percent of Nigerian women make use of skin bleaching creams and the figure is the highest in Africa compared to 59 percent in Togo, 35 percent in South Africa and 27 percent in Senegal.
The DG who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola noted that the scary statistic has shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi-faceted regulatory approach.
Adeyeye said;
“Last year, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha acting on the resolutions of the Senate wrote to NAFDAC stressing the need to take stringent regulatory actions to stem the dangerous tide of rampant and pervasive cases of Nigerians using bleaching creams.
“We immediately took some decisive steps such as sensitization of the public through different media outlets, enforcement through intelligence and raids in trade fair complexes that have resulted in large seizures and destruction of violative products…
“This sensitization workshop is a training the Trainers’ programme with the great expectation that participants will assume the role of champions in the vanguard of the campaign against the use of bleaching creams… It is imperative for me to warn that some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include cancer, damage to vital organs of the body, skin irritation and allergy, skin burn and rashes, wrinkles, premature skin aging and prolonged healing of wounds.
“A World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) study revealed that the use of skin bleaching creams was prevalent among 77 percent of Nigerian women which was highest in Africa compared to 59 percent in Togo, 35 percent in South Africa and 27 percent women in Senegal. This scary statistic has shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi-faced regulatory approach…”
