Accra: The National NGO Forum has called for an urgent national response to end child labour in illegal small-scale mining, widely known as galamsey, citing severe health risks, environmental degradation, and the violation of children's rights. The stakeholders also called on social welfare officers, the police, and traditional leaders to adopt child-sensitive interventions backed by training and adequate funding.
According to Ghana News Agency, the forum was held at the University of Ghana to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and was spearheaded by child-focused non-profit organisation, OAfrica. It brought together stakeholders in the health, education, environment, and social protection sectors. A key highlight of the event was the revelation of the health impacts of mercury exposure on children living in mining communities.
Professor Anthony Kwame Enimil, a Consultant Paediatrician and Infectious Disease Specialist, recounted the case of a four-year-old boy from Wassa Ayiem who passed metallic beads in his stool. An X-ray showed mercury pellets lodged in the child's intestines and rectum after ingesting the chemical unknowingly from a bottle used in gold extraction at home. He warned that exposure to mercury can cause long-term damage to the brain, kidneys, and lungs, and that many children in galamsey areas have no access to healthcare.
Mr Francis Anipah, Project Manager at OAfrica, described the situation as a child rights emergency that demanded immediate and coordinated intervention. He stated that children in these sites face abuse and dangerous conditions as they attempt to survive, and emphasized the need for Ghana to take action.
Data shared at the forum from a 2022 UNICEF report estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 children in Ghana are involved in mining-related activities. These children, some as young as five years old, engage in hazardous tasks like digging pits, crushing rocks, and handling mercury and cyanide without protective gear. These acts violate international conventions, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The forum also discussed the environmental and social consequences of galamsey, particularly its impact on children's wellbeing. Mr Daryl Bosu, Deputy Director at A Rocha Ghana, highlighted the rapid destruction of forests, pollution of water bodies, and threats to food security caused by illegal mining, which affect child health.
Mr Bosu noted that in 2023, Ghana lost over 110,000 hectares of forest, and rivers like the Ankobra, Pra, and Offin became unusable. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) had to refund a $250 million loan due to failed irrigation schemes caused by mining-related pollution.
The gendered dimension of the issue was presented by Ms Abigail Ziame of the Minerals Commission, who noted that girls bear a disproportionate burden. Many are forced to drop out of school or are trafficked to mining sites, facing early pregnancies and exploitation.
Although Ghana's legal framework prohibits child labour in hazardous environments, enforcement remains weak. Participants expressed frustration over the lack of effective implementation, citing limited resources and inadequate training for local authorities.
The forum concluded with a call for a multi-sectoral national response. Recommendations included stricter enforcement of child protection and mining laws, investment in school feeding programmes and transportation, expansion of mercury screening and treatment, and promotion of safer gold processing technologies.
'No child should ever call a mine pit home,' the forum declared.
