Most searched Nigerian name on google Bobrisky, skin bleaching mogul and Nigerian singer, Dancia and other skin bleaching business owners in Nigeria are, officially banned from expanding their skin bleaching businesses to the gold rich country of Ghana, if the present declaration by the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs Mimi Darko is anything to go by.
Reports emanating from the West African country say the CEO of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were she was quarried on what the FDA was doing about bleaching creams in the country, and Mrs Dako replied the public Account Committee that bleaching products have been banned across the country, that the ban commenced since last year as it also stopped registering body creams with bleaching agents.
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Speaking further, the FDA boss said the ban is not being taken likely as frantic efforts are on, to educate market women and members of public on the negative effect of bleaching on people’s skin and health.
Ghana’s Skin Bleaching Statistics And Effects
The World Health Organization defines bleaching as the intentional alteration of one’s natural skin colour to one relatively if not substantially, lighter in colour, through the use of chemical skin lighting agents, either manufactured, homemade, or the combination of the two.
According to the 2005 Ghana Health service report, approximately 30% of Ghanaian women and 5% of Ghanaian men were actively bleaching. This statistic has shot-up, and currently 50%- 60% of adult Ghanaian women are currently or have at one time or the other actively used bleaching agents.
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The greatest victim of skin bleaching was the late Pop star, Michael Jackson who met his premature and untimely death. Reports indicated that the Pop star had the upper layer of his skin peeled off, destroying his skin ability to produce menalin that protects the skin against ultra-violent rays and exposes the skin to blood cancer such as leukemia and cancer of the liver and kidney.
Ghanaian boxer Percy Oblitei Commey also suffered the same fate when he lost his national super-featherweight belt to his challenger Smith Odoom in 2001. International report indicated the boxer suffered several punches on his face, opening deep cut on his right cheek, and his nostril bleeding with blood because his skin was too light due to excessive bleaching.
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The greatest victim of skin bleaching was the late Pop star, Michael Jackson who met his premature and untimely death. Reports indicated that the Pop star had the upper layer of his skin peeled off, destroying his skin ability to produce menalin that protects the skin against ultra-violent rays and exposes the skin to blood cancer such as leukemia and cancer of the liver and kidney.
Ghanaian boxer Percy Oblitei Commey also suffered the same fate when he lost his national super-featherweight belt to his challenger Smith Odoom in 2001. International report indicated the boxer suffered several punches on his face, opening deep cut on his right cheek, and his nostril bleeding with blood because his skin was too light due to excessive bleaching.
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It is not uncommon to see many Ghanaian women including some men who have lost their natural skin colour and have exposed their bodies to deformities such as burnt skin, wrinkles, skin blemishes, damaged skin and red spots on skin which is normally referred in our local parlance as ‘Nanso Obaa yi’.
The devastating effect of skin bleaching leaves a lot to be desired and ought to be abhorred rather than encouraged in our Ghanaian society. © Nigeriafilms.com
