CaNZ CALLS FOR BAN ON BLEACHING CREAMS, CLOSURE OF FACEBOOK PAGES THAT PROMOTE SKIN LIGHTENING
Lusaka ~ Thur, 7 Jan 2021
By Brightwell Chabusha
Care for Nature Zambia is calling upon the Zambia Environmental Management Agency ZEMA to ban the importation of skin lightening products that contain mercury above 1ppm and close social media platforms that promote them.
CaNZ notes that this is in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury article 4 which states that, “After 2020, parties shall not allow, by taking appropriate measures, the manufacture, import or export of mercury added products.
CaNZ Executive Director Nsama Musonda Kearns said it is worrying the rate at which the products are coming in Zambia.
“As an organization, we are extremely concerned by the inflow of skin lightening products on the Zambian market including products for permanent skin lightening which are being sold on line such as serums, pills and injections because these products may contain mercury and hydroquinone which the World Health Organization has indicated as being harmful to health,” Ms Kearns said.
“In addition to our concerns, these skin lightening products have no age restriction meaning even young people are vulnerable to their use without knowing the consequences. Much more the manufacturers of these products do not disclose the mercury content but from studies and tests that were conducted by the WHO, most of the skin lightening products contained mercury above the prescribed limits.”
She said it is very critical for Zambia to ban the import and trade of all skin lightening products and close the social media sites selling the products until all cosmetics coming into the country can be screened and be certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards as safe for use.
” We have seen how some users of skin lightening products are suffering from skin reactions because of killing melanin and this trend is also costly to the point where users are constantly looking for money to maintain the skin bleaching at the expense of providing for their families. Countries like Kenya and Tanzania have already banned these products, and ZEMA being the focal point institution for the Minamata Convention will be saving lives if they follow suit,” Ms Kearns said.
“Zambia being a signatory of the convention has an obligation to protect its citizens from the harmful effects of mercury and as an organization, we are appealing to ZEMA to take quick action and ensure that all products coming into Zambia are safe for use.”