Accra, March 1, – The Paediatric Society of Ghana has raised alarm over the growing health dangers posed by illegal mining activities, warning that exposure to toxic substances from galamsey operations threatens children’s brain development and long-term wellbeing.
In an open letter addressed to the President and jointly signed by Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye, President of the Society, and Dr Gabrielle Obeng-Koranteng, General Secretary, the group described the situation as a national emergency requiring immediate intervention.
The Society highlighted that illegal mining operations leave behind open pits in which children risk drowning, while also contaminating water bodies, soil and food chains with hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, arsenic and cyanide.
It explained that pregnant women and young children were particularly vulnerable, as toxins enter the body through contaminated drinking water, fish, crops and even household dust. According to the letter, these heavy metals can cross the placenta and are also transmitted through breast milk, affecting babies during critical stages of development.
Citing scientific evidence, the Society warned that toxic exposure may result in permanent brain damage, reduced IQ, learning difficulties, speech delays and behavioural disorders. It added that other health effects include anaemia, stunted growth, weakened immune systems, kidney and liver damage, and increased risk of chronic diseases later in life.
Beyond individual health consequences, the letter noted broader socio-economic impacts. Children exposed to heavy metals often experience poor academic performance and higher school dropout rates, which ultimately reduce productivity and lifetime earnings. Even unborn babies, it stressed, are not spared from heavy metal poisoning.
Referencing estimates by the World Health Organization, the Society stated that lead exposure alone costs low- and middle-income countries hundreds of billions of dollars annually in lost economic productivity. It warned that Ghana also faces rising healthcare costs for dialysis, cancer treatment and disability care linked to toxic exposure.
The Society urged the Government to declare galamsey a child health emergency and ensure strict protection and monitoring of water sources serving pregnant women, children and schools. It further called for nationwide screening for heavy metal exposure in high-risk districts, enforcement of zero tolerance against illegal mining, and the integration of child health impact assessments into mining and environmental policies.
It also recommended the establishment of long-term child development monitoring programmes to track and mitigate the effects of exposure.
The Society concluded that sustainable national progress depended on safeguarding human capital, arguing that natural resource extraction must not come at the expense of children’s health and Ghana’s long-term competitiveness.
GHBUSS
1 March 2026
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