NAFDAC has declared that the prevalent use of skin-bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency.
Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, made the declaration at the Media Sensitization Workshop on the dangers of bleaching Creams and Regulatory Controls, held in Kano on Thursday, 9th of February. According to her, “The World Health Organization 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.
Part of the approach is consultative and sensitization meetings like this. Another is a heightened raid on the cream outlets.”
