Marilyn Thipthorpe
Ghana in West Africa has issued a ban on the importation of products that contain a skin-lightening chemical.
Hydroquinone is commonly used by people across Caribbean, African and West African countries for skin bleaching.
But this practise can have harmful side effects and is linked to skin cancer.
In Ghana alone, 70% of Nigerian women have admitted to using skin lightening products.
Increased use of these products is argued to be the result of colourism – where people are discriminated for having darker skin complexions.
Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority will roll out the ban in August and is hoped to deter people from using such products.
FDA spokesperson James Lartey told Ghana Star: ‘Concerning skin lightening products, we are saying that from August 2016, all products containing hydroquinone will not be allowed into the country. From 2016, the acceptance for skin lightening products is going to be zero.’
Chemicals found in skin bleaching products have already been banned from Australia, United States and Japan.