The Acting Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration And Control, (NAFDAC), Monica Eimunjeze, has lamented the proliferation of skin-bleaching creams and products in the country.
She said this recently at a one- day media sensitisation workshop on ‘Dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory controls’ organised by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for Association of Nigerian Health Journalists in Abuja.
Eimunjeze stated that some of these bleaching creams had gone through the regulatory process on the list of license items that are available in the record of the agency.
She cautioned Nigerians that there are so many bleaching creams out there that are not regulated by the agency, and so, it could cause harmful effects to the body.
“We see dangers inherent in using those creams products that are not in our regulatory process, so we are collaborating with health journalists to help us increase awareness on the products that have not gone through the regulatory process on the impact these could have on their health.
“There are many consequences such as kidney failure, liver damage from an accumulation of toxic chemicals within the system. So, we want people to be aware of possibilities and try to modify their behaviour.
“You don’t use a product that has chemicals that could affect the body in many ways or systemically cause a reaction on the skin and could cause affection on the organ,” she said.
Eimunjeze also stated that there was need for reasonable Nigerians, particularly social scientists, to examine and look at the reasons why people or why some men go for white or fair women.
The DG urged the media to take the front seat in the campaign against the skin bleaching pandemic by providing Nigerians with the right information to make the right decision about safeguarding their health.
“Although people have the right to make choices, but you need to make informed choices that will guide you and not the ones that will hurt you,” she said.
