New campaign by Bio Vision Africa exposes pervasive chemical threat to women’s health in Uganda

Bio Vision Africa (BIVA), in collaboration with the International Pollution Elimination Network (IPEN), Wednesday, 15^th October 2025, launched a critical advocacy campaign in Uganda to expose the insidious dangers of chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormonal system, known as Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), particularly to women’s health.

The local initiative, part of the broader IPEN Women’s Global Campaign, aims to significantly raise public awareness about the pervasive risks of these substances found in everyday consumer products and to advocate for robust policy and regulatory frameworks.

Betty Obbo, Program Officer for Gender and Extractives at Bio Vision Africa, at a press conference in Kampala to launch the campaign, highlighted the campaign’s focus on vulnerability.

The EDCs, commonly identified as Phthalates, are ubiquitous in modern manufacturing, present in a wide array of products including personal care cosmetics like nail polish, shampoos, soaps, perfumes, and lotions.

They are also found in building materials such as adhesives and paints, cleaning supplies, and various plastics, from food packaging and beverage bottles to medical devices, children’s toys, and household items.

EDCs are valued for their ability to make materials softer, more flexible, and longer-lasting, driving their extensive use across industrial and household applications. However, this widespread utility comes at a significant cost to human health.

These chemicals can enter the human body through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation, and scientific evidence strongly links them to severe health problems including reproductive health issues, reduced fertility, cervical cancer, premature births, and developmental disruptions in children.

Why Target Women?

Esther Kamese, Program Officer for Youth, Food Systems, Biodiversity and Climate Change at BIVA, elaborated on why women are particularly more vulnerable to the impacts of EDCs.

“Women are the primary consumers of cosmetics, personal care products, and household items that often contain these harmful chemicals,” Kamese explained.

“Frequent and prolonged exposure to products such as lotions, perfumes, hair treatments, and cleaning agents significantly increases their risk of health impacts associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals.”

Moreover, the growing urbanization and industrialization in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda have accelerated the consumption of such consumer products, thereby heightening exposure to these hazardous substances and their potential effects on human health.

Kamese also pointed to less obvious but equally dangerous exposures through daily household practices. “Many continue to use plastics and polythene materials (commonly known as ‘kaveera’) to light charcoal or firewood stoves, and for preparing or serving food items,” she noted.

“While these practices may appear convenient, they release toxic substances that pose significant risks to human health, particularly to women and children, and undermine overall well-being.”

Call for Urgent Policy Action

In light of these pressing realities, Bio Vision Africa is urging policymakers in Uganda to take urgent and coordinated action to phase out toxic chemicals. The organization emphasizes the critical need to enhance public awareness on the health risks associated with everyday chemical exposures and to strengthen the policy and regulatory frameworks that protect women and communities from hazardous substances.

BIVA calls for addressing existing regulatory gaps and aligning national initiatives with international chemical management frameworks such as the Stockholm Convention, the Minamata Convention, and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). These frameworks provide comprehensive guidance for managing hazardous substances, including Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals.

The campaign seeks to empower women with knowledge to make safer choices and to pressure authorities to create a healthier environment free from chemical pollution.