COMMUNICATION ON THE DANGERS AND ABUSE OF SKIN LIGHTENERS IN AFRICA
Correspondence
The 4th African Ethnic Skin and Hair Workshop took place at the Continental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, from November 8‐11, 2012. The workshop deliberated extensively on various dermatoses that affect people of African descent. The previous workshop, held in Accra, Ghana, in 2010, saw the presentations of three scientific studies focusing on the issues of skin lighteners.
The lectures were delivered by Dr. Ncoza Dlova from South Africa on Skin lightening creams used in Durban, South Africa”, Dr. Koussake Kombate from Togo on “Acne and skin bleaching in Lome”, and Dr. Fatima Ly from Senegal on the Refusal of skin bleaching, the other side of “xessal”.
Nairobi welcomed 80 delegates and experts from the USA, France, and many from 22 African countries including Burkina Faso, Burundi, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The workshop was declared open by a representative of the Kenyan Minister of Health, Dr. Lillian A. Kocholla, Head, Projects
and Programs Coordinator, Ministry of Medical Services, Nairobi, Kenya. A keynote address was delivered by the president of the Kenyan Association of Dermatologists, Dr. Evanson Kamuri.