The Paediatric Society of Ghana has issued an urgent warning that illegal mining (galamsey) poses a severe threat to children’s health and brain development, with irreversible consequences for Ghana’s future.

The Society called on government leaders to treat this as a national emergency requiring immediate action.

In an open letter to the President, signed jointly by Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye, President, and Dr Gabrielle Obeng-Koranteng, General Secretary, it stated that children drown in open pits left by galamsey activities.

It said illegal mining released toxic substances (mercury, lead, arsenic, and cyanide) into water sources, soil, and the food chain.

The letter said pregnant women and young children were exposed to contaminated drinking water, fish, crops, and household dust.

It said these toxins easily cross the placenta and enter breast milk, affecting children during their most critical developmental stages.

Scientific evidence shows that toxic exposure causes permanent brain damage with no safe exposure level, reduced IQ and learning capacity, and speech delays and behavioural disorders.

It also causes anaemia, stunted growth, and weakened immune systems, kidney and liver damage and increased risk of chronic disease later in life.

The letter said the damage extended far beyond individual health because children who were exposed to mining toxins experienced poor academic performance and higher dropout rates, leading to reduced adult productivity and earnings.

The Society said even unborn babies were not spared from heavy metal poisoning.

The World Health Organisation estimates that lead exposure alone costs low and middle-income countries hundreds of billions of dollars annually in lost economic productivity.

It said Ghana faces mounting healthcare costs for dialysis, cancer treatment, and disability support, straining the health system and national finances.

The Society urged the government to declare galamsey a child health emergency and protect and monitor all water sources serving pregnant women, children, and schools.

It called for screening for heavy metals in high-risk districts nationwide and the enforcement of zero tolerance against illegal mining.

It urged the establishment of long-term child development monitoring programmes and included child health impact assessments in all mining and environmental policies.

It emphasised that strong human capital, not natural resources alone, determines a nation’s success.

“Galamsey creates a destructive cycle, and it damages the environment, undermines health and productivity, and weakens Ghana’s capacity to manage resources responsibly,” it added.

It said protecting children from galamsey was framed as a moral, medical, and economic imperative essential to Ghana’s long-term development and competitiveness.