Uruganda Johnson & Johnson (J&J) kuva mu mwaka utaha ruzahagarika gucuruza iyi puderi y’abana ikorwa ahanini mu kinyabutabire cya talcum.
Iyi puderi iracyakoreshwa na benshi mu bihugu by’isi, kandi imiryango myinshi yarayikoresheje mu kwita ku bana bakiri bato.
Itangazo rya J&J rije nyuma y’imyaka ibiri uru ruganda rukomeye mu bicuruzwa by’ubuzima ruhagaritse igurishwa ry’iyi puderi muri Amerika.
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 bwigenga bwemeje ko iyi puderi ari ntamakemwa. Itangazo ry’iki kigo rivuga ko “Nyuma y’ubugenzuzi bwakozwe hose ku isi, twafashe icyemezo cy’ubucuruzi cyo kujya mu byiciro ku yindi puderi y’abana ikozwe mu biva ku bigori”.
Uru ruganda rwongeraho ko iyi puderi yindi y’abana ubu irimo kugurishwa mu bihugu bitandukanye ku isi. Uru ruganda J&J ariko rukomeza rushimangira ko iriya puderi ikoze muri talcum nta kibazo iteye.
Ruvuga ko “rugihagaze ku byatangajwe mu bugenzuzi bwigenga bwakozwe imyaka myinshi n’inzobere mu buvuzi ku isi bwemeza ko ipuderi 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 abayikeneye babaye bacye kubera ibyo yise “amakuru atari yo” kuri yo mu gihe hari ibirego byinshi mu nkiko kuri yo.
Icyo gihe, uru ruganda rwavuze ko ruzakomeza kuyicuruza ahandi hose ku isi.
Uru ruganda rwarezwe n’abaguzi n’abarokotse bavuga ko ipuderi 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 kiziwho gutera cancer.
Mu 2018 iperereza ry’ibiro ntaramakuru Reuters ryerekanye ko J&J yari imaze imyaka myinshi izi ko asbestos iri mu bicuruzwa byayo birimo talc.
Reuters yavuze ko inyandiko z’imbere mu ruganda, ubuhamya mu manza,n’ibindi bimenyetso byerekanye ko nibura kuva mu 1971 kugeza mu 2000, ipuderi ya talc ya J&J yasuzumwe igasangwamo ibipimo runaka bya asbestos.
Mu gusubiza kuri ibi bihamya bya asbestos mu nkiko, no mu nkuru z’ibinyamakuru, uru ruganda rwasubiyemo kenshi ruhakana ibi birego.
Mu Ukwakira(10) gushize, J&J yashinze ikigo, LTL Management, igiha inshingano zo gukurikirana ibirego kuri talc. Nyuma yavuze ko iki kigo cyahombye, bisubika imanza zari zihari.
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 ntibyemewe.
Johnson’s Baby Powder imaze imyaka hafi 130 icuruzwa kandi yabaye ikirango cy’iyi kompanyi mu ngo nyinshi ku isi.
Iyi puderi ikoreshwa mu kurinda uruhu rw’impinja gukanyarara, abandi bakayikoresha ku ruhu rwabo kugira ngo ruhehere.
