By: Ashiadey Dotse
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has raised serious concern over the growing health crisis caused by illegal mining, saying that some children in mining communities now require dialysis treatment due to mercury poisoning.
Addressing Parliament during the first session of the third sitting of the 9th Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin described the situation as one of Ghana’s greatest governance failures that has worsened across successive governments.
He said the widespread destruction caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has gone beyond environmental damage and is now threatening human lives, especially those of children. “Doctors are reporting a rise in kidney disorders among children from mining areas, and even finding mercury pellets in their X-rays. Some of these children now require dialysis because of the poisonous fruits of galamsey,” he lamented.
Citing recent research by Pure Earth and Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minority Leader revealed that mercury contamination in some mining areas is 134 times above safe limits, while arsenic levels are over 4,000 percent higher than what the World Health Organization considers safe.
“These poisonous metals are seeping into our water, our food crops, and into the very bodies of our people,” he warned, adding that the health of Ghanaians and the future of the country are in grave danger if immediate action is not taken.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that although Ghana remains one of the world’s top gold producers, unregulated small-scale mining has created an underground economy that benefits criminal networks while depriving the state of billions in revenue.
He called for decisive and visionary leadership to confront the crisis, stressing that “the time for mere talk is over.” According to him, despite years of warnings from journalists, civil society, and past officials, the problem has only grown worse.
The Minority Leader urged government to adopt stronger laws, promote sustainable alternatives, and act on the recommendations of experts and advocates who have long sounded the alarm about the dangers of illegal mining.
He added that both organized labour and the judiciary have recently expressed concern about the worsening galamsey menace, calling it a non-partisan issue that demands urgent national action, stating that the time to act is now.
He also indicated that failure to end the menace will result in failing the future generation.
“If we fail to protect our rivers, land, and communities, we risk failing an entire generation.”
