The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control on Thursday declared a state of emergency on bleaching after establishing that Nigeria has been ranked first in cases of bleaching.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, raised the alarm on the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria, saying the problem has become a national emergency that calls for serious attention.
She made the remarks while flagging off a media sensitization workshop on Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Control organized by the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists in Kano on Thursday.
She said that 77 percent of those engaged in bleaching in Nigeria are women, saying this calls for a multifaceted approach in fighting the menace of bleaching creams, which she warned have fatal health hazards.
Prof. Adeyeye said, “The World Health Organisation study in 2018 revealed that the use of skin bleaching cream is prevalent amongst 77 percent of Nigerian women, which is the highest in Africa compared to 59 percent in Togo, 35 percent in South Africa and 27 percent in Senegal.
“These scary statistics have shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi-faceted regulatory approach.”
She said that in response to these statistics, the Federal Government, through the office of the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha, wrote to NAFDAC last year seeking stringent measures to be implemented against the menace.
ALSO, READ
One Person Dies As Many Cars Collide In An Accident Along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
