Former World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, has noted that Ghana is facing a public health disaster driven by illegal mining, and it is entirely preventable.
The health expert said that the illicit mining is causing severe health conditions. World Health Organisation report reveals that artisanal gold mining has mercury levels up to 50 times higher than the safe threshold. In some Ghanaian mining areas, studies have found that mercury contamination in water bodies is 20 to 30 times above the WHO threshold.
Speaking at a virtual environmental conference, Dr Sagoe-Moses said “We have scientific evidence to show that mercury used in gold processing contaminates air, soil and water.”
“What does this mean for human beings? Memory loss, tremors and kidney failure bring severe fatigue and muscle weakness, causing developmental delays in children and permanent neurological damage.
“Repeated exposure to metals, especially mercury and arsenic, causes chronic kidney diseases, which leads to kidney failure in young adults as well as hypertension. What about the effects on pregnant women and children? This is where the tragedy becomes generational.
“Mercury crosses the placenta during pregnancy, it also contaminates breast milk, and as a result, babies are born with reduced brain development, they stand the risk of cerebral palsy, children develop learning difficulties, and they perform poorly in schools.”
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