Cameroon’s Health Minister threatened after banning skin whitening products

First modification: 08/23/2022 – 15:31

With our correspondent in Yaoundé, Joël Wadem

The Minister of Health had justified the suspension of the sale of skin whitening products marketed by five Cameroonian companies on the fact that not only had this activity not been approved by him, but also that the solutions sold contained substances harmful to health. Since then, Manaouda Malachie says he has been subjected to daily pressure and even threats: “You cannot imagine the number of phone calls and threats I have received since these statements came out,” he says.

“People come to make money in a field that does not need it. Since we are in public health, it is not prohibited to make money, but we have to do it with public health in mind,” he said.

After this intervention by the Minister of Health on Naja TV, the cabinet director of the deputy Nourane Fotsing, who deals in this type of item, reacted: “These products are not harmful, they are beauty drinks. Today we have 124 samples of these products that are in the Cameroonian laboratories, in a few days the Cameroonian laboratories will settle,” he said.

Pending the reaction of the authorities to the various requests for authorization, the trade in bleaching products is going from strength to strength in Cameroon. The five companies whose activities have been suspended are just a drop in the bucket.