By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) North East Zone has trained no fewer than 60 journalists from Borno and Yobe states and other public health stakeholders on the dangers of bleaching creams, use of chemicals in body sprays, lotions amongst others.
The training which is the first of its kind to be organized by NAFDAC in the region was held on Wednesday at the NAFDAC North East Zonal Office , Maiduguri.
In her remarks, the Director General, NAFDAC, Professor Moji Adeyeye, said the workshop was part of the agency’s deliberate strategy of mobilizing, educating, sensitizing, and challenging Nigerian Health Journalists to play frontline role in NAFDAC’s concerted efforts to eradicate the menace of bleaching creams.
She said: “It is pertinent to mention that during my recent press conference in Abuja announcing my second tenure in office, I promised to continue the transformative agenda of my first tenure but intensify and widen the scope of our publicity and public awareness campaigns.
“I wish to assure you that NAFDAC will henceforth constantly engage the mass media as we strive to bring down to the grassroot level positive impacts of our regulatory activities.
“Even though, I have assigned some of my competent officers to carry out this training exercise, it is imperative for me to warn that some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include cancer, damage to vital organs of the body, skin irritation and allergy, skin burn and rashes, wrinkles, premature skin ageing and prolong healing of wounds.
Prof Adeyeye, who was represented by The Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research Dr. Patrick Omokpariola, said a recent finding from WHO revealed that use of skin bleaching creams was prevalent among 77 percent of Nigerian women which was highest in Africa compared to 59 percent in Togo, 35 per cent in South Africa and 27 percent women in Senegal.
She said the scary statistic has shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi-faced regulatory approach.
“Part of the multi-pronged approach are consultative/sensitization meetings such as this and heightened raids on distribution outlets of bleaching creams.
“It is therefore a great pleasure for me to declare open this media sensitization workshop while urging you to assist NAFDAC in publicizing and disseminating knowledge acquired to the general public”, Prof. Adeyeye said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the North -East Zonal Director, Dr. Bukar Usman, appreciated the significant role of the media in the fight against illegal consumption, sale, distribution and manufacturing of fake and adulterated drugs, foods, cosmetics and other dangerous substances, which are prevalent among women and youths in the country.
He also disclosed that Nigerian women have been rated at 77% next to Senegal with 60% rate of using bleaching creams and sprays in African statistics amounting to billions of naira despite the dwindling global economic recession and cashless policy syndrome in the country.
The Zonal Director identified some of the effects of using bleaching creams to include – organs failure, uneven coloration, burns, dry patches and wrinkles mostly among female gender who patronizes such products.
He therefore urged the participating journalists and stakeholders to endeavour to disseminate information on the dangers of using harmful cosmetics or chemicals such as methyl, methacrylate, melanin, toluene, hydroquinone, tropical retinoid, mercury, ethanol among other banned chemicals.
On his part, The President of The Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, Comrade Hassan Zaggi acknowledged the importance of mass media in disseminating public health information..
Comrade Zaggi, however, assured NAFDAC of accurate and prompt dissemination of the information gotten from the workshop to the large heterogeneous society.
In a separate vote of thanks, The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) from Borno and Yobe State, Comrade Dauda Iliya and Mohammed Rajab Ismail respectively, commended NAFDAC for organizing such workshop aimed at sensitizing the public on the dangers of bleaching creams.
They pledged that adequate publicity will be accorded the workshop to sensitize and enlighten the general pubic, especially women.and youths on the dangers of bleaching creams, while assuring continuous partnership with the agency in its fight against the use and control of harmful chemical substances.
