The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has issued a stern warning regarding the alarming influx of fake and substandard baby diapers into Ghana. Many of these products, the CPA reports, were rejected in their countries of origin due to safety concerns but are now readily available in local markets.
According to the CPA, weak regulatory enforcement has created an environment where unscrupulous importers can flood the market with these hazardous products, posing significant health risks to infants. This warning comes after a recent crackdown by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), which resulted in the confiscation and incineration of over one million pieces of substandard diapers. This action followed increasing complaints from parents, particularly mothers, about diaper-related rashes, infections, and discomfort in their children.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, May 28, Nana Prempeh Aduhene, Executive Director of Mediation and Arbitration at the CPA, shared disturbing findings from their investigations.
“Our investigation shows that some of these diapers are rejected in their home countries. When they are going through production, some of these diapers are rejected, and they end up in the trash can. But because of greed, somebody goes there, picks them up, bags them into a container, brings them to Ghana, and then repacks them into plain poly bags, and then they sell them on the market,” Aduhene revealed.
Aduhene explained that the CPA alerted the FDA upon receiving this information. While the FDA initially allowed importers to store the products in designated warehouses, they later shut down some facilities after discovering improper practices.
“We do not have a problem with importing diapers into the country, but they have to go through rigorous tests that have been confirmed with the FDA and the Ghana Standards Authority,” he noted. “All these diapers we are talking about, FDA told us they were banned from coming into the country, so we are surprised that they have found their way into the country.”
Aduhene further indicated that their investigations point to China as the likely source of these rejected products.
CPA Commends FDA and Calls for Tighter Controls
In a separate press statement issued on Tuesday, May 27, the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) highly commended the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for its decisive actions in clamping down on these “fake diapers” circulating in the Ghanaian market, which have been linked to severe health problems among infants and toddlers.
This commendation followed mounting complaints from parents, especially mothers, about skin rashes, discomfort, and infections resulting from the use of certain diaper brands. The CPA highlighted the FDA’s recent confiscation and burning of over 1 million pieces of these defective diapers.
In response, the CPA conducted its own investigations across five major regions: Greater Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Sefwi Wiawso, and Sunyani. Microbial tests carried out on samples of these products revealed disturbing levels of contamination. Many of the diapers, according to the agency, had been rejected abroad due to poor manufacturing standards and were intended for destruction. However, they were salvaged—sometimes even from trash—and repackaged in plain plastic bags before being smuggled into Ghana.
“These diapers are stored and handled in unsanitary conditions, significantly increasing the risk of microbial infections,” the CPA stated. “Some children have suffered painful rashes and infections around their genital areas, which, if left untreated, could escalate into life-threatening conditions.”
The CPA urged parents to stop patronizing such unregulated products and called on the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to tighten checks at entry points to prevent further importation of the defective goods.
“Are the over five million babies and toddlers in Ghana not deserving of clean, safe, and hygienic diapers? Must our children suffer just because unethical importers prioritize profit over health?” the CPA questioned, emphasizing the ethical implications of this issue.
The agency reiterated its commitment to collaborating with the FDA on a nationwide campaign to eliminate fake diapers from the market and enhance consumer safety. “Together, we can ensure a safer and healthier future for every Ghanaian child,” the statement concluded.
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