The Gambia’s presidency has issued a directive that will see the dismissal of civil servants who bleach their skin from the public service by end of business next week Thursday.
A previous executive directive from President Yahya Jammeh banning the use of skin lightening lotions was not fully enforced by senior administrators, forcing the country’s leader to sign a new directive to “ensure the enforcement of the Executive Directives with immediate effect, failure of which, those found wanting would be fired by 10th September, 2015 without fail.”
Senior civil servants have been warned against the relapse of enforcement failure and are likely to face drastic measures, which might include dismissal, charges of insubordination or willful disobedience of lawful order and a possible jail term.
Jammeh administration wants its officials to stop bleaching or be dismissed.
Millions of Africans use harmful creams to bleach their skins despite their adverse health consequences. It is a growing phenomenon in The Gambia and many West African countries and becoming popular.
Gambia will not be the first African country to ban skin bleaching if it did, though the directive was just for civil servants. Senegal and Ivory Coast banned all skin-whitening creams and lotions over fears that the cosmetic products can cause long-term health problems, and In South Africa, products containing more than two percent hydroquinone have been illegal since the 1980s.
None of the countries have seen a drop in its usage.
British dermatologist Justine Kluk told the BBC that the products often contain dangerously unregulated ingredients, such as large amounts of steroids or mercury.
These ingredients will not only make a user fairer, it makes their skin so thin that a touch would bruise and swell it. The person’s capillaries became visible, and would develop stubborn acne, redress, osteoporosis, neurological and kidney damage, obesity, psychiatric disorder, severe birth defects, asthma, liver damage, cataracts, and intense irritation.
A survey carried out by the British Skin Foundation found 16% of dermatologists believe lightening creams are completely unsafe, and 80% feel they are only safe when prescribed by a dermatologist.
The Gambia might be on the way to totally banning the sale and use of the product and has said anyone in the civil service using skin lightening products will not represent the nation in any forum.
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