Eight years after a national ban on skin-whitening products came into force in Ivory Coast, the trend continues to boom despite its health risks. Half of Abidjan’s women are known to engage in skin depigmentation, which can lead to serious health issues such as diabetes and hypertension. NGOs are denouncing what they see as a lack of political will from authorities to tackle the problem. FRANCE 24’s Julia Guggenheim, Damien Koffi, M’ma Camara and Justice Baidoo report, with Antonia Kerrigan.
