NAFDAC CALLS ON JOURNALISTS TO TAKE UP THE CAUSE OF BANNING THE USE OF BLEACHING PRODUCTS.

Journalists across the nation have been urged by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to join the campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with bleaching creams.

At a media awareness workshop on the risks of bleaching creams and regulatory controls that was organized for the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, made the call.
The workshop, according to Adeyeye, aims to inform and encourage Nigerian health journalists to take the lead in the agency’s campaign to end the use of bleaching creams.

“In a letter to NAFDAC in 2022, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, emphasized the need to implement strict regulatory measures to address the widespread instances of some Nigerians utilizing bleaching creams.
“We acted right away, seizing and destroying a sizable amount of the illegal goods from the trade show.

Bleaching creams cause harm to the body’s critical organs, skin irritation, allergies, burns, rashes, wrinkles, and a delay in wound healing.

We don’t need to change our color because black is lovely, she remarked.
According to her, the World Health Organization reported in 2018 that 77% of Nigerian women use bleeching cream, which is the highest percentage in Africa when compared to 59% in Togo.

In addition, the director-general stated that Senegal had 27% and South Africa had 35%.

Because of these alarming statistics, bleaching cream use in Nigeria has elevated to the level of a national health emergency, necessitating a multifaceted regulatory strategy. “NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media, as we strive to bring down to the grass root levels positive impact of our regulatory activities,” says the agency.

Speaking as well, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director of Public Affairs for NAFDAC, stated that the workshop’s goal was to provide the media with accurate information and launch a campaign against the use of bleaching creams in Nigeria.

“Public ignorance is not a defense in court. According to Jimoh, the role of the media in promoting public health is crucial for all NAFDAC-regulated items, not only cosmetics.