Ghana News
Galamsey’s Toxic Legacy: Apart from the Environmental toll, These Are the Medical and Social Cost of Illegal Mining in Ghana
As Ghana grapples with the persistent scourge of illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey, a growing body of evidence reveals a devastating human cost.
Beyond the visible scars on the landscape—polluted rivers and deforested lands—the use of dangerous chemicals like mercury, cyanide, and arsenic is inflicting profound medical and social harms on communities, threatening public health and social fabric across mining regions.

In the Western Region, where galamsey operations have intensified despite government crackdowns, residents like those in Amenfi Central report a surge in health issues linked to chemical exposure.
A 2024 study published in the Journal of Water and Health by IWA Publishing found that illegal mining activities along rivers like the Oda have contaminated water sources with heavy metals, elevating risks of waterborne diseases such as typhoid and cholera. The Coalition Against Typhoid highlighted in 2023 that such pollution disrupts water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, leading to outbreaks that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly.

Mercury, a staple in gold extraction processes, poses one of the most insidious threats. Research from MDPI’s International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2016, with ongoing relevance) documented elevated mercury levels in water and sediments in districts like Prestea-Huni Valley, resulting in neurological disorders, kidney damage, and mercury poisoning symptoms such as tremors and cognitive impairments.
A CNN investigative report from recent years linked galamsey to increased maternal deaths, miscarriages, and birth defects, with women in mining areas facing heightened risks due to bioaccumulation of toxins in food chains. The report revealed that murky brown toxic wastewater from dozens of unregulated mines now fouls Ghana’s Tano River, a 400-kilometer (248-mile) lifeline that flows into neighboring Ivory Coast and the Atlantic Ocean.
Thirty-eight-year-old Diana Agyeiwaa told CNN the water’s ruin is personal. A nursing mother who once drank from the river and ate its fish, she began to suspect poisoning after developing severe childbirth complications last year. She now keeps her distance, terrified for herself and her infant daughter.
“I fear for my life,” she said. “I fear if I give that water to her, she will die.”
Agyeiwaa, who works at a local radio station, believes her community is suffering in silence:
“I met one woman when she delivered a baby; its nose was half. I’ve seen a lot of deformities in babies.”
The toxic flow shows no signs of stopping, leaving a trail of fear and suspected illness in its wake. PubMed’s 2025 systematic review further connects exposure to fertility issues, including decreased sperm count, motility, and hormonal imbalances in men, alongside ovarian disruptions in women. There have been deformities in newborns linked to the toxicity of the water.
“I met one woman when she delivered a baby; its nose was half. I’ve seen a lot of deformities in babies,” Agyeiwaa told CNN
Arsenic contamination, as detailed in a 2025 study in the African Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, exacerbates these woes, causing skin lesions, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. Scientific Reports (2025) assessed lead and mercury in crops at abandoned galamsey sites, warning of long-term food safety risks that could lead to widespread poisoning. Child laborers, often drawn into the mines, suffer acutely: A 2013 U.S. Department of Labor report, updated with recent data, notes respiratory problems, burns, and itchy eyes from chemical handling, compounding issues like musculoskeletal injuries from hazardous work.
Socially, galamsey’s ripple effects are equally alarming. A 2024 SERVIR West Africa analysis of eastern Ghana’s mining sites revealed high levels of violence, drug abuse, and community fragmentation, fueled by transient workers and economic desperation. The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) initiative on restoring polluted areas underscores how chemical runoff erodes livelihoods, displacing farmers and fostering poverty cycles. University of Ghana’s 2023 biennial lecture by the College of Health Sciences decried the ecological devastation, linking it to social unrest and national security threats, as outlined in a DTIC report.
Experts like Dr. Edith Clarke from the Ghana Health Service advocate for stricter enforcement, including drone surveillance as proposed by Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson. Community-led efforts, such as those by Eco Amet Solutions, aim to raise awareness, but without comprehensive regulation, the cycle persists.
Just like under previous administrations, Ghana is making another push to end the dangerous mining practices and achieve environmental restoration under the current John Mahama administration. But while the country waits to get a full picture of the success of this news push, the human stories — from families mourning lost pregnancies to villages battling chronic illnesses — show the urgent need for action.
Galamsey’s glitter may promise quick wealth, but its toxic shadow endangers generations.
Ghana News
Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.
Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift
The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here
Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process
Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here
Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here
Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash
Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here
Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha
Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here
680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here
Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here
15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here
Ghana News
Today’s Newspaper Headlines: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.




















Ghana News
Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust
The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.
Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.
“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”
The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.
Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.
Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.
“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.
The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.
The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.
However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.
“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.
He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.
To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.
President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.
“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.
No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.
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