Recently, the African Region proposed to amend the Minamata Convention to ban
the sale and offering of sales of mercury-added cosmetics, including skin lightening products. The
Zero Mercury Working Group applauded the proposal.
“Over the years, the African region has taken a leadership role in phasing out mercury in products,
including in lighting, dentistry and now skin lightening cosmetics,” said Rico Euripidou from
groundWork in South Africa. “Toxic cosmetics are a global mercury crisis warranting coordinated
international collaboration.”
African-focused studies reveal why mercury laced cosmetics are such an acute health risk.
A South Africa study revealed 70 percent of skin-lightening creams contained high levels of
mercury.
A study conducted in Ghana found that 70 percent of patients with kidney disease had a
history of using bleaching creams.
A Nigeria study found that over 30 percent of women who used bleaching creams
experienced skin irritation.
“Even in countries like Nigeria that have banned manufacture and trade, mercury-added cosmetics
are still widely available,” said Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of the Sustainable Research and
Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria). “Since most come from outside the
country, more must be done globally to curtail sales and use.”
This past February, the Nigerian Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
declared the use of bleaching creams as a national health emergency in the country.
Dr. Abubakar
Jimoh, Director Public Affairs NAFDAC, said that the agency required the media to combat the
bleaching epidemic among Nigerians, saying “NAFDAC cannot do it alone.”
Other African countries have issued similar declarations. In 2018, the Rwandan government began
enforcing a nationwide ban on cosmetics containing harmful chemicals like mercury, making it illegal
to produce or sell most skin lightening cosmetics.
And in August 2022 Cameroon’s health ministry banned the import, production and distribution of
cosmetic and personal hygiene products containing dangerous substances such as mercury.
“Despite the Convention’s ban on manufacture and trade, the proliferation and sales of mercury
cosmetics continues unabated in local markets and increasingly though the internet.”, said Michael
Bender, International Co-coordinator, Zero Mercury Working Group. “To date, these major online platforms are not held accountable for facilitating the sale of often illegal high mercury cosmetics. If
adopted, the sales ban can help prevent marketing of toxic and often illegal cosmetics.”
Although there are no official figures on how many women use such products across Africa,
billboards advertising the potentially deadly creams can be seen in cities across the continent.
“The current sales ban proposal on mercury-added products reflects the willingness of many African
countries to drive the mercury change envisioned by the Minamata Convention in their countries,”
said Charline Cheuvart, Mercury Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau.
“The upcoming COP should endorse this forward-looking initiative and make it part of the fight against
mercury pollution worldwide and the effort to #MakeMercuryHistory.”
At least ten African countries have adopted regulations to curtail toxic skin lighters, including South
Africa, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Sudan.
Since 2015, eight of those ten countries have taken steps to curtail toxic cosmetics.