Alarm raised over abuse of skin-lightening products in Northeastern
Products that were banned due to dangerous chemical ingredients were still applied by young girls who were bleaching their skin in a bid to attract men.
The National Authority for Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) and health practitioners have raised alarm over the abuse of skin-lightening creams in the Northeastern region.
During a public sensitisation forum held in Garissa town on Wednesday, the officials expressed concern over the situation where girls as young as 12 years were using unauthorised skin-lightening products that pose serious health risks.
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Nurta Mohamed, the non-communicable disease coordinator at the Garissa County Department of Health stated that skin bleaching became a common practice that was causing several adverse health effects on young girls in the region.
"We are experiencing serious health risks, a situation that forced us to create public awareness on the widely used over-the-counter (OTC) skin bleaching products that are not safe and effective," she said.
Nurta said products that were banned due to dangerous chemical ingredients were still applied by young girls who were bleaching their skin in a bid to attract men.
"We need to sensitise our young girls at home and school that their God-given dark skin is beauty, they don't need to lighten their skin with an obsession to attract men for marriage," she urged.
The health official disclosed local names coined for the drugs such as "Isqarhis" meaning explosion for dexamethasone drug among others.
She said some of the widely used skin-bleaching drugs contain mercury, hydroquinones and lead that result in serious health complications.
"We currently have young girls at the Garissa referral hospital undergoing kidney dialysis caused by unauthorized pills used for skin treatment," she disclosed.
Participants during a public sensitization campaign against the abuse of skin treatment products in Garissa County on February 26, 2025. (Photo: Issa Hussein)
Ann Mathu, the vice chairperson for NACADA stated that the use of the unauthorised skin treatment drugs was getting out of hand in the region.
She warned that the government would take stern action against the pharmaceutical shops that were involved in the sale of the banned drugs.
"Health officials have shared with us a report on increasing cases of skin diseases, kidney failures and infertility linked to exposure of mercury to the blood of young girls seeking to lighten their skin," she said.
She said cross-border smugglers were using the porous Kenyan-Somali border to sneak in the banned skin treatment drugs in the region.
The vice chair urged members of the public to cooperate with NACADA and security officials to identify the smugglers and pharmaceutical shops involved in the illegal trade.
Hassan Abdi, a Garissa SUPKEM official who spoke also expressed regret about the high usage of the skin-bleaching drugs.
"Besides the miraa and bhang drugs, we are facing another bigger threat affecting our young girls, the situation is worsening. We call upon the government to take action against the smugglers and the pharmaceutical shops involved in the trade of the unauthorised skin treatment drugs," he said.
He called upon religious leaders to create awareness against the practice that he said was against the teachings of Islam.
Mohamed Abdi, a participant who spoke during the event also encouraged parents to take responsibility to ensure their children were not exposed to using such harmful drugs.
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