The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of the federal republic of Nigeria has declared a state of emergency on bleaching in the country.
This follows a World Health Organisation’s study in which the country ranked first in cases of bleaching, Punch Healthwise reports.
The study, revealed by Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, indicates that 77 of Nigerian women use skin bleaching creams, making it the country with the highest incidence of bleaching on the continent.
“The World Health Organisation study in 2018 revealed that the use of skin bleaching cream is prevalent amongst 77 per cent of Nigerian women, which is the highest in Africa compared to 59 per cent in Togo, 35 per cent in South Africa and 27 per cent in Senegal,” Prof. Adeyeye said.
The Director-General of NAFDAC described the statistics as scary, but stated that the country has since taken steps including the declaration of the state of emergency and the organisation of sensitization workshops in the country’s six geopolitical zones to curb the menace.
She warned against the use of bleaching products, stating that usage of such products could result in fatal health hazards.
