By Alex Ababio
KUMASI, Ghana — The Ashanti region of Ghana is facing a slow but deadly crisis. Illegal gold mining, known locally as galamsey, has turned farmlands into wastelands and poisoned major rivers, including the Enu, Oda, Offin, Pra, Afram, Owabi, Fum, Subin, Agogo, and Gyimi.
Communities such as Abore, Agroyesum, Ahwerewa, and Ankam in the Amansie West District, along with Sanso, Anyinam, Anyinamadokrom, Abombe, and Tutuka in the Obuasi Municipality, are now paying the price. Farmers have lost their land, and entire villages are drinking and bathing in polluted water. The consequences are evident—rising cases of kidney diseases, respiratory problems, and mercury poisoning.
A Visit to Manso Atwere: A Community in Crisis
Manso Atwere was once a vibrant farming community. Now, vast pits filled with toxic water stretch across the land where cocoa once grew. The river, which was the lifeblood of the people, is now a murky brown, contaminated by chemicals used in gold extraction.
“We used to drink from this river,” says Kofi Owusu, a farmer in his sixties. “Now, if you fetch the water, you can see the oil and dirt floating on top.”
Children in the area suffer from strange rashes, while adults complain of persistent coughs and difficulty breathing. Local health workers say cases of kidney failure and mercury poisoning have become alarmingly common.
The Science Behind the Poisoning: A Doctor’s View
Dr. Paul Poku Sampene Osei, a forensic pathologist at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has been studying the health effects of galamsey for years. His findings are disturbing.
“In areas like Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, we have found heavy metals—cyanide, arsenic, and mercury—in the placentas of pregnant women,” he reveals. “This leads to birth defects, developmental problems in children, and long-term organ damage.”
He explains how mercury, a key chemical used by illegal miners, is especially dangerous. “Mercury does not just disappear,” he says. “It enters the water, seeps into the soil, and gets into our food. Fish from polluted rivers contain mercury levels three times higher than what is considered safe by global health standards.”
A Hospital Overwhelmed with Cases
At the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the renal unit is struggling with an increasing number of kidney patients. Dr. Amoako Atta, the head of the unit, says there is a clear link between illegal mining and kidney failure.
“We are seeing more young patients with kidney disease,” he explains. “These are people in their 30s and 40s—far younger than what was common before. Mercury poisoning is a major factor.”
Dr. Osei agrees, adding that exposure to mining dust also causes lung diseases like silicosis, asbestosis, and pneumoconiosis. “Miners and people living near these sites breathe in fine dust that damages their lungs over time,” he says.
Pollution Beyond Health: Water Crisis in Ashanti
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has warned that several water treatment plants have been forced to cut production due to pollution from mining activities.
“Look at the Pra River,” says Dr. Osei, shaking his head. “This river used to supply water to thousands of people. Now, treatment plants struggle to make the water safe for drinking. Some have even been shut down because the pollution is too severe.”
In some areas, water shortages have become common, forcing residents to buy expensive bottled water or risk drinking contaminated sources.
According to some media report there has been a rise in kidney disease cases. According to Dr. Amoako Atta, head of the renal unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, mercury used by illegal miners is one of the causes.
A study by the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis found that mercury gets into the environment through gold mining. It is either washed into rivers or released into the air. The amount of mercury found in fish was three times higher than what the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) considers safe.
Another study was done in five communities—Sanso, Anyinam, Anyinamadokrom, Abombe, and Tutuka—in the Obuasi Municipality. It looked at the health effects of mining near AngloGold Ashanti’s operations. The study found that people in these areas suffer from malaria, skin diseases, diarrhea, fever, colds, and catarrh. Malaria was the most common illness, making up 42% of reported cases. Respiratory infections followed at 27%, and skin diseases accounted for 17.7%. Fever, diarrhea, and other symptoms were reported by 13.6% of people in the study area.
The study also showed that Anyinam had the highest number of colds and cough cases (37.1%). This community is close to AngloGold Ashanti’s open-pit mine, where rock blasting and heavy machines disturb the air. Skin diseases were more common in Anyinamadokrom (26.6%) and Sanso (24.3%). Residents in Sanso believe their skin problems come from contaminated water, which they depend on for drinking, cooking, and bathing. In Anyinamadokrom, the high number of skin diseases is linked to its location near AngloGold Ashanti’s Pompola treatment plant, where chemicals like arsenic (sulfur dioxide) are used.
The Ghana Health Service has also confirmed these findings. It has reported an increase in respiratory diseases such as silicosis and asthma in mining areas. “Dust and chemical fumes from mining activities play a big role in these health problems,” says a recent report.
Severe Environmental Damage
The damage to the environment is just as serious. Illegal miners use mercury to extract gold, and this has deadly effects on human health. Mercury is a dangerous poison that can mix with water, polluting rivers and streams that people use for drinking. It also enters the soil, gets absorbed by fish and crops, and becomes part of the food people eat. This long-term contamination puts both miners and local communities at risk.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has warned that many water treatment plants in galamsey-affected areas have had to cut down production because of extreme pollution in the rivers. For example, the Pra River, which provides water to major towns and cities in the Central and Western Regions, has become so polluted that treatment plants can no longer clean the water properly. In some cases, the GWCL has been forced to reduce water production by up to 60%, causing severe water shortages in these regions.
Voices from the Community
Kwame Mensah, a farmer from Manso Nkwanta, has lost everything. “My cocoa farm is gone. The land is useless now,” he says. “The miners came, dug for gold, and left. No one is helping us. We have no land, no money, nothing.”
Women and children are suffering the most. “We don’t even know the dangers of mercury,” says Adwoa Bempah, a trader. “We fetch water, cook with it, and bathe our children in it. Now, they are always sick.”
Government Response: Promises and Action
The Ghanaian government has acknowledged the crisis. President John Dramani Mahama, in his latest State of the Nation Address, vowed to take strong action against illegal mining.
“Galamsey has destroyed our forests, polluted our rivers, and put our health at risk,” he said. “Forty-four of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves have been affected. We are launching stronger enforcement and providing alternative livelihoods for those involved.”
To follow up on this promise, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has formed a fact-finding committee to assess the destruction of water bodies, farmlands, and forests.
But environmental activists remain skeptical. “We’ve heard these promises before,” says Felicity Nelson, a leader in the anti-galamsey movement. “What we need is action—real arrests, real enforcement, and real protection of our water sources.”
A Health Time Bomb Waiting to Explode
Dr. Osei gives a grim warning: “If nothing is done, in the next 10 years, we will see an explosion of kidney disease, lung problems, and birth defects. This is not a future problem. It is happening now.”
Conclusion: The Cost of Gold
The Ashanti region is at a crossroads. Illegal mining has brought temporary riches to a few but lasting devastation to many. The rivers are poisoned, the lands are ruined, and people are getting sick.
If decisive action is not taken, future generations will inherit a land where farming is impossible, clean water is a luxury, and hospitals are filled with galamsey’s victims. The time to act is now.