Ku myaka 130 puderi ya Johnson imaze icuruzwa hirya no hino ku isi ubu igiye kuvanwa ku isoko kubera imanza zirega abacuruza iyi puderi ko yaba irimo ikinyabutabire gitera cancer
Uruganda rwitwa Johnson & Johnson (J&J) kuva mu mwaka utaha ruzahagarika gucuruza iyi puderi y’abana ikorwa ahanini mu kinyabutabire cyitwa talcum.
Itangazo rya J&J ritangaza ihagarikwa ry’iyi puderi rije nyuma y’imyaka ibiri uru ruganda ruhagaritse igurishwa ry’iyi puderi muri Amerika kubera ko ngo abayikoresheje baho bagizweho ingaruka nayo.
J&J ihanganye n’ibirego ibihumbi birenga 10 by’abagore bavuga ko iyi pideri irimo ikinyabutabire cya asbestos cyabateye cancer y’imirerantanga (ovaries).
Gusa uru ruganda rushimangira ibyo rwakomeje kuvuga mu myaka myinshi ishize ko ubushakashatsi bwemeje ko iyi puderi ari ntamakemwa ku muntu wese uyikoresheje.
Inkuru ya BBC ivuga ko “Nyuma y’ubugenzuzi bwakozwe hose ku isi, uru ruganda rwafashe icyemezo cyo gucuruza iyindi puderi y’abana ikozwe mu biva ku bigori”.
Uru ruganda J&J ariko rukomeza rushimangira ko iriya puderi ikoze muri talcum nta kibazo itera.
Ruvuga ko “rugihagaze ku byatangajwe mu bugenzuzi bwigenga bwakozwe n’inzobere mu buvuzi ku isi bwemeje ko puderi ya Johnson’s ya talc ari ntamakemwa, idafite asbestos, kandi idatera cancer”.
Mu 2020, J&J yatangaje ko igiye guhagarika gucuruza iyi puderi muri Amerika na Canada kuko abayikoresga ngo babaye bake kubera ibyo yise “amakuru atari yo” kuri iyo puderi mu gihe hari ibirego byinshi mu nkiko kuri yo.
Icyo gihe, uru ruganda rwavuze ko ruzakomeza kuyicuruza ahandi hose ku isi gusa ubu rukaba rwamaze kuva ku izima nyuma y’uko abajyana ibirego mu nkiko kubera iyi puderi ngo bakomeza kwiyongera.
Uru ruganda rwarezwe n’abaguzi n’abatewe cancer n’iyi puderi ariko bakaza gukira aho bavuga ko puderi ya talcum yarwo yabateye cancer kuko irimo asbestos.
Talc iba muri iyi puderi icukurwa mu butaka kandi iboneka mu birombe biba byegereye ahari ikinyabutabire cya asbestos kizwiho gutera cancer.
Mu mwaka w’2018 iperereza ry’ibiro ntaramakuru Reuters ryerekanye ko J&J yari imaze imyaka myinshi izi ko asbestos iri mu bicuruzwa byayo birimo talc ariko ntigire icyo ibikoraho.
Reuters yavuze ko inyandiko z’imbere mu ruganda, ubuhamya mu manza,n’ibindi bimenyetso byerekanye ko nibura kuva mu 1971 kugeza mu 2000, puderi ya talc ya J&J yasuzumwe igasangwamo ibipimo runaka bya asbestos.
Gusa ariko mu nkiko, no mu nkuru z’ibinyamakuru, uru ruganda rwakunze kugaragara ruhakana ibi birego ndetse mu Ukwakira 2021 uruganda rwa J&J rwashinze ikigo, LTL Management, cyari cyahawe inshingano zo gukurikirana ibirego kuri talc no kugenzura koko niba ibivugwa ari ukuri gusa nyuma gato uru ruganda rwaje kuvuga ko iki kigo cyahombye kigahagarara.
Mbere y’uko J&J ivuga ko iki kigo cyahombye, cyari cyugarijwe no kwishyura miliyari $3.5 mu manza, zirimo urw’abagore 22 bagenewe n’urukiko impozamarira za miliyari $2.
Muri Mata(4), umwe mu banyamigabane ba J&J yasabye ko iriya puderi y’abana ihagarikwa gucuruzwa ku isi, ariko ntibyahabwa agaciro.
Johnson’s Baby Powder imaze imyaka hafi 130 icuruzwa ku isi ikaba ikoreshwa mu kurinda uruhu rw’impinja gukanyarara, abandi bakayikoresha ku ruhu rwabo kugira ngo ruhehere.