Mining, Environmental Contamination, and Public Health in Ghana: The Health Costs of Extractive Economies

Mining has been a key part of Ghana’s economic growth, bringing in a lot of money for the government, exports, and jobs. But the fast growth of both industrial and artisanal gold mining has caused a lot of pollution in the environment, which is becoming a bigger public health problem. This article analyses the correlation between mining-induced environmental degradation in Ghana and its consequent health risks at the population level, facilitated by various exposure pathways, such as contaminated water sources, the utilisation of mercury and cyanide, soil degradation, air pollution, and modified disease ecologies. Utilising peer-reviewed literature, policy reports, and contemporary empirical evidence, the study reconceptualises mining as a significant social and environmental determinant of health, rather than merely an economic or environmental concern. There is a lot of focus on mercury exposure, water insecurity, health risks at work, and the unfair burden that vulnerable groups like artisanal miners, women, children, and rural communities have to bear. Building on recent environmental assessments of mining impacts in Ghana, this article presents a public health perspective that emphasises how extractive economies transfer health costs to local populations while prioritising immediate economic benefits. The results highlight the pressing necessity to incorporate public health considerations into mining governance, environmental regulation, and development planning in Ghana. If we do not do this, the health costs of extractive economies will keep hurting long-term population health and sustainable development.

Mining, public health, environmental contamination, mercury exposure, water insecurity, Ghana

1. Afrane, Y. A., et al. (2012). Effects of land-use change on malaria transmission. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 87(3), 498–507. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Akabzaa, T., & Darimani, A. (2001). Impact of mining sector investment in Ghana: A study of the Tarkwa mining region. Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (SAPRI). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Andoh, C. N. (2026). Environmental impacts of mining: Lessons from Ancient Rome and contemporary Ghana. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 10(12). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Armah, F. A., et al. (2013). Impact of mining on food security in Ghana. Resources Policy, 38(4), 528– 535. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Aryee, B. N. A., Ntibery, B. K., & Atorkui, E. (2003). Trends in the small-scale mining of precious minerals in Ghana: A perspective on its environmental impact. Journal of Cleaner Production, 11(2), 131–140. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Basu, N., Clarke, E., Green, A., Calys-Tagoe, B., Chan, L., Dzodzomenyo, M., ... & Wilson, M. L. (2015). Integrated assessment of artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Ghana Part 1: Human health review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(5), 5143–5176. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Bose-O’Reilly, S., et al. (2010). Health assessment of artisanal miners. Environmental Research, 110(3), 252–261. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Briggs, D. (2003). Environmental pollution and the global burden of disease. British Medical Bulletin, 68(1), 1–24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Counter, S. A., & Buchanan, L. H. (2004). Mercury exposure in children: A review. NeuroToxicology, 25(4), 553–569. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Donkor, A. K., Bonzongo, J. C., Nartey, V. K., & Adotey, D. K. (2006). Mercury in different environmental compartments of the Pra River Basin, Ghana. Science of the Total Environment, 368(1), 164–176. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. FAO. (2020). Environmental contamination and food safety. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Ghana Statistical Service. (2023). Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Hilson, G. (2002). The environmental impact of small-scale gold mining in Ghana: Identifying problems and possible solutions. The Geographical Journal, 168(1), 57–72. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Hilson, G. (2017). Farming, small-scale mining and rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa: A critical overview. The Extractive Industries and Society, 4(2), 367–374. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Minerals Commission Ghana. (2023). Annual mining performance report. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Minerals Commission Ghana. (2024). Ghana mining industry performance report. Accra: Government of Ghana. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Ministry of Health Ghana. (2021). Environmental health and sanitation strategy. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Obiri, S., Mattah, P. A. D., Mattah, M. M., Armah, F. A., Osae, S., Adu-Kumi, S., & Yeboah, P. O. (2016). Assessing occupational health risks from mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners in Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(4), 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. UNEP. (2018). Global mercury assessment. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Water Resources Commission Ghana. (2022). Assessment of surface water quality in mining basins [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. World Bank. (2023). Ghana economic update: Enhancing economic resilience. Washington, DC: World Bank. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. World Bank. (2024). Extractives and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. World Health Organization. (2017). Evaluation of certain mercury compounds: WHO food additives series. Geneva: WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. World Health Organization. (2019). Preventing disease through healthy environments: Mercury exposure. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. World Health Organization. (2022). Environmental health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Yaro, J. A., Teye, J. K., & Bawakyillenuo, S. (2021). Mining-induced environmental change and malaria transmission in Ghana. Malaria Journal, 20(1), 1–12. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Tribal Child Nutrition and Health in District of Sundargarh: A Public Health Review of ICDS Intervention
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Prostate Cancer Screening Amongst Men Aged 40-60 Years in The Buea Health District: A Cross-Sectional Study
• Compliance with JCI Protocols: A Focus on Employee Safety
• Influence and Involvement of Teachers in Menstrual Hygiene Management of Female Secondary School Students in Kogi State, Nigeria
• A Critical Evaluation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Bihar