A public health expert, Dr Nana Esi Gaisie-Tetteh, says water is the world’s first and foremost medicine and allowing continual pollution and contamination is reckless.

She said, “This medicine in question is crucial for the health and development of the child also. While 60 per cent of the adult body is made up of water, 75 per cent of the bodies of infants comprise the same.

“This is how water is essential for the life of our younger population today. They need more water to grow and function well, organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and lungs require constant hydration.”

She said the human body needs water to carry out other processes like dissolution of food, absorption of nutrients, and dissipation of heat among others.

Dr Gaisie Tetteh said, “What available and safe alternative is there to replace this natural medicine if we allow the current recklessness of a few to continue.”

Dr Gaisie-Tetteh said in an interview that, “at a time like this when there was hue and cry for a radical action from the powers that be to save our water bodies from the incessant pollution and disturbance by “galamseyers” it is important to make it known that posterity will not forgive those who choose to remain quiet at a time like this.”

She noted that the future belonged to today’s children who were being affected now by the negative effects of illegal mining, adding that this was the reason why the existential threat should not be treated lightly for the sake of future generations.

The Public Health Expert explained that the health, development and well-being of children were seriously affected by the unavailability of safe and quality water, coupled with the presence of contaminants like mercury and other toxic chemicals which illegal miners use.

She also mentioned exposure to lead, excessive exposure to alum, plastics, viruses and parasites posed a significant health hazard to children because of the susceptibility of their rapidly developing organs.

Dr. Gaisie-Tetteh, also a child development expert, said various communities were already complaining of their inability to sustain food production because of the hazardous nature of the contaminated water used on farms to grow the crops.

“In worse case situations, staples such as yam have recently tested positive for some heavy metals, making these unsuitable for consumption.”

In the United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) State of the World’s 2019 report, it was documented that one in 10 children who are under five in Ghana is underweight.

One in five under-five children is stunted. Among children who are between six months and two years of age, about two out of three are not fed optimally.

She added that with the recent threat to water and food security, the nutrition status of the Ghanaian child could worsen.

“The lives of children are at stake. Ghana stands to lose all the gains made concerning child health if the menace of illegal mining persists. A stitch in time saves nine.”