Ghana’s Paediatric Society has called on President John Dramani Mahama to declare illegal mining a national emergency, warning that the long-term harm it inflicts on children rivals in severity some of history’s gravest injustices.
In a statement issued on April 22 to mark Earth Day, the Society described galamsey as a “slow, silent assault on the Ghanaian child,” citing scientific evidence linking illegal mining to contamination of water bodies and food systems with toxic heavy metals including mercury and arsenic. The letter was signed by Society President Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye and General Secretary Dr Gabrielle Obeng-Koranteng.
The Society warned that prenatal exposure to mercury has been linked to irreversible brain damage, reduced intelligence quotient (IQ) and neurodevelopmental disorders, while polluted water sources are increasing cases of chronic diseases, infections and malnutrition among children. It described the damage as a “crime against humanity yet unborn,” drawing a parallel with the Transatlantic Slave Trade to convey the scale of generational harm at stake.
The environmental data underpinning the warning is alarming. As of December 2024, illegal mining had destroyed approximately 8,923.8 hectares of forest reserves, affecting more than 45 reserves and encroaching into a national park. Major rivers including the Pra, Ankobra and Offin have been heavily polluted by mercury and cyanide, with the Ghana Water Company Limited warning that some treatment plants have been forced to shut down intermittently due to extreme contamination levels.
The Society called on Mahama to lead a coordinated, science-driven national response involving the health, environment, security and education sectors, and to invest in child-centred health surveillance systems capable of screening and treating conditions including heavy metal toxicity, chronic kidney disease, childhood cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders.
It also urged Ghana to champion the issue on the global stage, framing environmental destruction of this scale within the broader framework of crimes against humanity.
The appeal comes against a complex political backdrop. Despite earlier indications, Mahama has declined to declare a state of emergency in affected areas. He has also publicly acknowledged that members of his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) are involved in galamsey operations, saying: “I don’t kid myself that we don’t have our own people involved.” The Coalition Against Illegal Mining has separately revealed that an estimated 7,000 excavators remain active in mining areas, with the group warning that unchecked fuel access is enabling their continued operation.
As part of its campaign, the Paediatric Society has announced a nationwide tree-planting exercise for May 1 and a national debate involving the University of Ghana Medical School and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Medical School on whether the priority should be treating diseases or preventing those linked to galamsey.
