Ban toxic skin lightening products
ZAMBIA should ban the importation of skin lightening products that are not screened and tested for mercury, Care for Nature Zambia Executive Director Nsama Musonda has said.
Ms Musonda said the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) should recommend for the immediate ban on such products.
She said ZEMA and ZABS should learn from the import and distribution of defective drugs, condoms and gloves to screen and test for mercury in all skin lightening products coming into the country.
"Why is it taking so long in Zambia? For the sake of preserving lives, ZEMA and ZABS should put a halt to import of skin lightening products and cosmetics entering the country until they are screened and certified as safe. Let’s not wait for people to die in numbers before taking action," Ms Musonda said.
Ms Musonda said issues that were raised are of serious concern because they impact directly on the lives of citizens and they are based on studies that have been conducted by renowned institutions such as the World Health Organisation.
She said citizens have the right to know if the skin lightening products and cosmetics that are on the Zambian market are safe and do not contain mercury above 1ppm.
"It is also quite disturbing to note that foreign distributors have taken advantage of sending defective items to Zambia because of the fact that it takes time for these things to be tested," Ms Musonda said.
She wondered why Zambia has not taken a step to regulate skin lightening products when other countries including South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania have done so.
ZEMA and ZABS should put a halt to import of skin lightening products and cosmetics entering the country until they are screened and certified as safe.”