Our newborns’ cries, our infants’ first steps, our mothers’ unburdened wombs, and our elders’ serene twilights. Ghana’s gold must not be our poison

In the heart of West Africa’s gold-rich landscapes, Ghana stands at a perilous crossroads. The surge in illegal, unregulated mining—locally known as galamsey—has unleashed an environmental catastrophe that threatens the very fabric of our nation’s public health. Rivers once teeming with life now run thick with silt and heavy metals, while fruits and vegetables, staples of our diet, carry invisible poisons into our homes. As a registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Population Health Scientist, I have witnessed firsthand the insidious creep of mercury and other toxins into the food chain, bioaccumulating in the bodies of our most vulnerable: newborns, young infants, pregnant women, and the elderly. This is not merely an ecological crisis; it is an existential threat to Ghana’s future generations. The Minamata Convention on Mercury, ratified by Ghana in 2015, was born from the ashes of Japan’s 1950s tragedy, where industrial mercury poisoning devastated communities, causing irreversible neurological damage. Named after Minamata Bay, the treaty binds 151 nations—including ours—to reduce and eliminate mercury emissions, particularly from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), which accounts for over 35% of global anthropogenic mercury releases. Yet, in Ghana, galamsey operations routinely violate this pact, using mercury to amalgamate gold ore, releasing vapors and wastewater that contaminate soil, water, and crops.
Studies by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pure Earth reveal mercury levels in Pra River fish exceeding safe limits by 10-fold, while vegetables from mining hotspots like the Ashanti Region show elevated arsenic and lead. By flouting the Convention, we risk repeating Minamata’s horrors on our own soil. Enforcement is not optional; it is a moral and constitutional imperative. The Public Health Toll: A Silent Epidemic Targeting the Vulnerable Mercury’s neurotoxicity is well-documented, but its disproportionate assault on vulnerable populations demands urgent action. In galamsey-affected areas, pregnant women consume contaminated fish and produce, transferring methylmercury—a highly bioavailable form—across the placenta. Fetuses, with their rapidly developing brains, absorb up to 1.7 times more mercury than maternal blood levels, leading to low birth weight, congenital anomalies, and lifelong cognitive deficits. Newborns and young infants, reliant on breast milk or formula mixed with tainted water, face heightened risks of motor delays and behavioral disorders. The elderly, with compromised detoxification systems, suffer exacerbated tremors, memory loss, and cardiovascular strain from chronic exposure. Ghana’s crisis is acute: Over 60% of freshwater sources are polluted, forcing communities to rely on arsenic-laced boreholes or mercury-heavy rivers like the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim. A 2024 study in the Oda River Basin found heavy metals in irrigation water rendering crops unsafe, with bioaccumulation in staples like cassava and tomatoes. Public health data from mining districts report rising dialysis cases—up 50% in some areas—linked to kidney damage from heavy metals, alongside spikes in diarrheal diseases and skin infections due to untreated water. Without intervention, Ghana could import water by 2030, as warned by the Water Resources Commission, crippling food security and inflating healthcare costs. The Minamata Convention mandates National Action Plans (NAPs) to phase out mercury in ASGM, yet Ghana’s 2022 NAP implementation lags, hampered by weak enforcement and political complicity. Violating this treaty undermines our sovereignty and health sovereignty alike. It is time for bold leadership to reclaim our rivers, safeguard our tables, and protect our people. The moment is ripe to invoke Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution, empowering the President—acting on Council of State advice—to declare a state of emergency in mining-impacted regions. This extraordinary measure, akin to those used for COVID-19, would unlock sweeping powers to suspend operations, deploy security, and fast-track remediation, all while upholding democratic oversight through parliamentary ratification.
Let me use this space to outline few essential reasons why H.E John Dramani Mahama must act swiftly:
1. To Avert a National Public Health Catastrophe Among the Most Vulnerable. Mercury exposure has surged birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in mining belts, with studies showing placental contamination in pregnant women leading to deformed infants. The elderly face organ failure, while infants risk irreversible brain damage. A state of emergency would enable immediate water purification drives and mercury-free farming subsidies, directly fulfilling constitutional duties under Article 36(5) to protect health and posterity.
2. To Enforce International Obligations and Restore Ghana’s Global Standing. Ghana’s NAP under the Minamata Convention requires mercury phase-out by 2025, yet galamsey emits 727 tonnes annually worldwide, with our share uncurbed. Violation invites sanctions and aid cuts from partners like the UNEP. Presidential activation would signal commitment, unlocking planet GOLD funding for mercury-free technologies and formalizing 15 million ASGM livelihoods regionally.
3. Protect Food Security and Agricultural Productivity. Heavy metal concentrations in greenleafy vegetables in the vicinities of the galamsey sites like Wassa Amenfi West exceed WHO limits, poisoning diets and diminishing cocoa heartland output by 30%. The Pra Basin providing 70% of Ghana’s cocoa is now a toxic wasteland. Emergency authorities could restore farmlands, order EPA tracking and enhance output, all in compliance with Directive Principles for balanced district development.
4. To Prevent Irreversible Environmental Collapse and Economic Ruin. Galamsey has deforested 2.7 million hectares and silted rivers, costing $2.3 billion yearly in lost revenue and smuggling. By 2030, water scarcity could displace millions. Invoking emergency authority would halt operations, restore ecosystems via Article 257’s public land trusteeship, and pivot to sustainable mining, preserving Ghana’s $1.7 billion small-scale gold sector.
5. To Eradicate Corruption and Build Equitable Governance. Politically exposed persons fuel galamsey, evading past operations like Vanguard. A declared emergency would empower ruthless enforcement, prosecuting violators and formalizing miners, fostering transparency and equity as per constitutional anti-corruption mandates.

A Call to Legacy: Act Now for Tomorrow’s Ghana, President Mahama, your presidency offers a historic pivot from rhetoric to resolve. Activating these powers is not authoritarianism; it is stewardship—rooted in our Constitution’s vision of a just, and healthy republic. Let us honor Minamata’s lessons by saving our own bay: the Pra, the Ankobra, the Birim. For our newborns’ first cries, our infants’ first steps, our mothers’ unburdened wombs, and our elders’ serene twilights. Ghana’s gold must not be our poison. Enforce the Convention. Declare the emergency. Reclaim our future.
I thank you for reading…