Experts are raising alarm over the impact of illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey,” on fertility rates in both men and women in Ghana, attributing the issue to harmful chemicals used in mining processes.
According to Dr Rudolph Kantum Adageba, president of the Fertility Society of Ghana (FERSOG), exposure to toxic substances such as mercury and cyanide, commonly used in illegal mining activities, could significantly affect reproductive health, leading to infertility, abnormal DNA, and other long-term health complications.
During an interview with the media at the 7th Annual General and Scientific Conference held in Kumasi on Sunday, October 6, Dr Adageba called for stricter enforcement of mining regulations to mitigate these growing concerns.
“The sort of chemicals they use in galamsey can affect the reproductive system. You know heavy metals, when they enter the body, can affect the DNA of the sperm and the eggs. The DNA is the genetic code that gives the information to the type of organ that you develop.”
“So, if that DNA becomes defective, the children may become defective. In fact, it doesn’t relate only to IVF. Even natural conception. Those who conceive naturally can get those things,” he stated.
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