Ghana bans second-hand knickers

BBC: Market traders in Ghana will be banned from selling second-hand underwear from next February, trade regulators say. According to the Ghana Standards Board, used pants - and other second-hand goods like handkerchiefs and mattresses - are unhygienic and could pose a health hazard. Some traders in a market in the capital, Accra, told the BBC they were unhappy the move might affect business.

The BBC's David Amanor in the city says there is a lot of consumer demand for second-hand clothing, often imported from Europe, as it is cheaper than locally produced items. It is the same in many African countries. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11845851

Shame! If you've lived in West Africa for any length of time you'll know how important quality 2nd-hand clothes from Europe and the USA are to the people - they will last way longer than the locally made or cheap imports, and will be passed down, literally, from kid to kid until they fall apart. Olly