The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has promised that the agency will enforce regulatory control to eliminate the distribution and use of harmful bleaching creams and cosmetics in the country.
The DG made this known while opening the ‘media sensitization workshop on dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory control’ held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
While being represented by Leonard Omokpariola, NAFDAC’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Adeyeye expressed that the regulatory measures include raids and clampdown on the promoters and users of bleaching creams and related items.
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She mention that NAFDAC would commence the action after it had concluded its awareness campaign on the harmful effects of bleaching creams across the six geo-political zones, stressing that the menace had become a national emergency.
Adeyeye said, “It is imperative for me to warn that some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include but not limited to cancer, damage to vital organs of the body, skin irritation and allergy, skin rashes, pimples, permanent skin aging and prolonged bleeding of the nose.
“The World Health Organization 2018 Study revealed that the use of skin bleaching creams was prevalent among 77% of Nigerian women, which was the highest in Africa compared to 59% of women in Togo, 35% in South Africa, and 27% of women in Senegal.
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“This scary statistic has shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national emergency that requires a multifaceted approach. Part of the multi-pronged approach is consultative and sensitization meetings, such as this one going on here, and carrying out raids on distribution outlets.
“In addition to those, NAFDAC will also take some other regulatory actions with respect to stemming the tide of the use of cosmetics and bleaching creams that are harmful and injurious to health.”
The NAFDAC boss also appealed to all stakeholders, particularly the media, to support the agency’s move to halt the menace of bleaching cosmetics and safeguard the health of Nigerians.
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