{
  "id": 5044232,
  "title": "Human cost of galamsey now counted in bodies as lives are lost, more at risk – Woanyah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/human-cost-of-galamsey-now-counted-in-bodies-as-lives-are-lost-more",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T07:21:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghana Business News",
    "slug": "ghana-business-news",
    "url": "https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/09/02/human-cost-of-galamsey-now-counted-in-bodies-as-lives-are-lost-more-at-risk-woanyah/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Volta Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Makafui Kofi Woanyah, has expressed deep concern over the devastating impact of illegal mining, also known as galamsey, on human lives, the environment, and the economy. According to him, the human cost of this crisis is now easily quantified in the loss of lives, with more individuals at risk of similar fates.\n\nAddressing a press conference in Ho, Woanyah highlighted recent incidents in the Ashanti Region, where at least 23 people, including 11 children, lost their lives after falling into abandoned illegal mining pits. He lamented that these abandoned, uncovered, and unfenced pits pose a significant threat to communities, especially children.\n\nMr Woanyah emphasized that the impacts of galamsey extend far beyond abandoned pits. He pointed out that the use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and lead in mining activities contaminates water bodies, farmlands, food, and human health. He stressed that people who have never engaged in illegal mining could still suffer due to the contamination of water, food, and air.\n\nThe Volta Region, Woanyah warned, cannot afford to view the illegal mining crisis as a distant issue. He cited concerns raised by environmental researchers and water experts that over 60% of Ghana's water bodies have been polluted by illegal mining. These polluted waters pose serious environmental, health, and livelihood risks to farmers and fishermen whose livelihoods depend on clean and sustainable water resources.\n\nThe tributaries feeding the Volta Lake, vital to the agricultural and fishing communities in the region, are particularly affected. Contaminated water upstream could eventually lead to the pollution of the Volta Lake, directly impacting those who rely on it for their daily needs. Woanyah urged the government to take immediate action to prevent illegal mining activities from spreading into these water bodies.\n\nFurthermore, Woanyah linked the galamsey crisis to the country's gold trade, questioning the loss of approximately $1.7 billion in gold-related transactions. He called on the NPP to support the Minority's demand for a full parliamentary investigation into the reported financial losses, demanding full transparency by making all relevant documents and records available for scrutiny.\n\nThe NPP chairman stressed that the fight against illegal mining must prioritize urgent and sustained action to protect lives, restore polluted water bodies, and safeguard the livelihoods of communities. He demanded accountability from those responsible for environmental destruction and urged the government to strengthen enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable. Woanyah pledged that the NPP in the Volta Region would continue raising concerns over the protection of the region's water resources, warning that the cost of inaction could be catastrophic if urgent measures are not taken.",
  "summary": "Mr Makafui Kofi Woanyah, Volta Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has raised alarm over the escalating human, environmental and economic consequences of illegal mining, saying “the human cost is now counted in bodies” as more lives are lost and many others remain at risk. The post Human cost of galamsey now counted in bodies as lives are lost, more at risk – Woanyah appeared…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}