John Adoyi
A Ghanaian scientist has linked at least 500 miscarriages to heavy metal contamination caused by illegal gold mining, known locally as galamsey, increasing concerns over the growing public health crisis in the country’s mining communities.
Professor Paul Poku Sampene Ossei, a forensic histopathologist and former head of pathology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), said his team’s ongoing research has found dangerous levels of toxic metals in placental tissue, likely the result of environmental pollution caused by unregulated mining.
“I have about 500 cases where women went to the hospital and lost their babies because of the concentration of heavy metals in their placenta,” Prof. Sampene said in an interview programme on Joy News. “Galamsey is really killing us.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe explained that his team has analyzed more than 4,000 placental samples collected from hospitals across Ghana since 2019. They found high concentrations of mercury, lead, and arsenic on both the maternal and fetal sides of the placenta. These toxic substances, he said, pass through the placenta and interfere with fetal development, often leading to miscarriage. “Most doctors fear coming out publicly, but birth deformities are happening in many of these areas,” he added.
Prof. Sampene warned that the threat goes beyond pregnancy, pointing to rising cases of kidney disease and neurological damage linked to long-term exposure to heavy metals. “Mercury inhalation alone can damage the brain,” he said. “If care is not taken, we will soon see people walking around with very high cognitive impairment.”
He revealed that data from KATH showed drowning in abandoned galamsey pits accounted for 25 percent of unnatural deaths in Ghana’s Ashanti Region between 2019 and 2021, another indicator of the human toll of illegal mining.
Illegal small-scale mining has long provoked nationwide outrage, with activists, community leaders, and environmental groups urging the government to crack down on the practice. Galamsey operators often use mercury and other toxic substances to extract gold, polluting rivers and farmlands and destroying agricultural livelihoods. Despite repeated government crackdowns, enforcement has been inconsistent, and political interference has weakened progress.
President John Mahama, who took office in January, has faced mounting pressure to act decisively. In response to public criticism, he has insisted that his government is committed to ending illegal mining, describing the fight as complex but necessary. Mahama said no new mining licenses have been issued for forest reserves and pledged to use existing laws to arrest offenders and seize their equipment without declaring a state of emergency.
Prof. Sampene urged Ghana’s two main political parties: the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to set aside partisanship and work together to solve the crisis.
“This is not about politics; this is about our survival as a people,” he said. He also cautioned against the use of aluminium compounds to treat contaminated water, warning that it could worsen kidney damage and contribute to neurological disease.
While Prof. Sampene’s findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, they add urgency to the growing calls for government action. With mounting evidence of illegal mining’s devastating environmental and health impacts, pressure is building for Ghana’s leaders to take more aggressive steps to protect vulnerable communities.
