From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that 77 percent of Nigerian women use skin bleaching creams.
This was disclosed by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye at Media Sensitization Workshop on Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Controls, held in Kano yesterday.
In her address at the opening of the workshop, Prof. Adeyeye said a World Health Organization (WHO) study in 2018 had revealed that Nigeria has the highest prevalence of use of skin bleaching cream in Africa.
Prof. Adeyeye said the study placed Nigeria highest above African countries with 77%, Togo 59%, South Africa 35% and Senegal with 27%.
According to her, the menace of use of skin bleaching creams has become a national health emergency which requires concerted effrots to eradicate.
“So you can see, we have a work cut across us, meaning NAFDAC and states. This scary statistics have shown that the menace of use of skin bleaching creams has become a national health emergency in Nigeria that requires a multifaceted regulatory approach.
“Part of the approach is consultative and sensitization meeting like this. Another is heightened raid on the cream outlets.
“It is therefore an honor to declare open, this sensitization workshop. I urge you to spread the knowledge acquired here to the general public,” she said.
The DG described media as i dispensable to the agency’s war against skin bleaching creams, which it commenced since last year.
She bowed that NAFDAC would not rest on its ores until it eradicate the menace of use of bleaching creams or reduce it to the bestest minimum.
