title: Integrated assessment of artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Ghana--part 1: human health review.
abstract: This report is one of three synthesis documents produced via an integrated assessment (IA) that aims to increase understanding of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Ghana. Given the complexities surrounding ASGM, an IA framework was utilized to analyze economic, social, health, and environmental data, and co-develop evidence-based responses with pertinent stakeholders. The current analysis focuses on the health of ASGM miners and community members, and synthesizes extant data from the literature as well as co-authors' recent findings regarding the causes, status, trends, and consequences of ASGM in Ghana. The results provide evidence from across multiple Ghanaian ASGM sites that document relatively high exposures to mercury and other heavy metals, occupational injuries and noise exposure. The work also reviews limited data on psychosocial health, nutrition, cardiovascular and respiratory health, sexual health, and water and sanitation. Taken together, the findings provide a thorough overview of human health issues in Ghanaian ASGM communities. Though more research is needed to further elucidate the relationships between ASGM and health outcomes, the existing research on plausible health consequences of ASGM should guide policies and actions to better address the unique challenges of ASGM in Ghana and potentially elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, CINE Building Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Rd., Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada. niladri.basu@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Niladri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana. essieclarke@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. aggreen@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Allyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. calys75@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Benedict
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calys-Tagoe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada. laurie.chan@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana. mdzodzo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mawuli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dzodzomenyo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana. jfobil@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fobil
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. rachlong@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. rneitzel@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Neitzel
authors.affiliation: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute, Accra, Ghana. obirisamuel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obiri
authors.affiliation: Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana. odeieric@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Odei
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. lovadje@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Lauretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ovadje
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana. yaw121@yahoo.co.uk.|Noguchi Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana. yaw121@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quansah
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. mrajae@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Mozhgon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. wilsonml@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D005869:Ghana; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D011634:Public Health; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Ghana; Minamata Convention; gold; heavy metals; mercury; mining; noise; occupational injuries; research; water