Mining, Environmental Contamination, and Public Health in Ghana: The Health Costs of Extractive Economies

Abstract

Mining has been a key part of Ghana’s economic growth, bringing in a lot of money for the government, exports, and jobs. But the fast growth of both industrial and artisanal gold mining has caused a lot of pollution in the environment, which is becoming a bigger public health problem. This article analyses the correlation between mining-induced environmental degradation in Ghana and its consequent health risks at the population level, facilitated by various exposure pathways, such as contaminated water sources, the utilisation of mercury and cyanide, soil degradation, air pollution, and modified disease ecologies. Utilising peer-reviewed literature, policy reports, and contemporary empirical evidence, the study reconceptualises mining as a significant social and environmental determinant of health, rather than merely an economic or environmental concern. There is a lot of focus on mercury exposure, water insecurity, health risks at work, and the unfair burden that vulnerable groups like artisanal miners, women, children, and rural communities have to bear. Building on recent environmental assessments of mining impacts in Ghana, this article presents a public health perspective that emphasises how extractive economies transfer health costs to local populations while prioritising immediate economic benefits. The results highlight the pressing necessity to incorporate public health considerations into mining governance, environmental regulation, and development planning in Ghana. If we do not do this, the health costs of extractive economies will keep hurting long-term population health and sustainable development.