Accra: Ghana’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has renewed its appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive measures against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, describing the situation as a national public health and human rights emergency.

The bishops’ appeal follows the release of a joint study by Pure Earth and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, which revealed alarmingly high levels of mercury and arsenic contamination in mining regions. In some areas, mercury concentrations were found to be nearly 130 times above the World Health Organization’s safety threshold, while arsenic levels reached thousands of times the recommended limit. Doctors in affected areas have reported increasing cases of kidney disorders in children, with some requiring dialysis.

The bishops are urging the government to set clear benchmarks for declaring a state of emergency in mining zones, prosecute high-profile individuals implicated in illegal mining, establish fast-track courts, and protect communities and traditional leaders resisting mining activities. They also called for accountability among local authorities and security services accused of complicity.

In response, President Mahama has signaled his readiness to declare a state of emergency if recommended by the National Security Council. His administration has already launched a national task force to curb gold smuggling, introduced the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to regulate small-scale gold trade, and banned foreigners from participating in artisanal gold trading.

However, challenges remain as enforcement is hampered by political complicity, corruption, and poverty-driven dependence on galamsey. Earlier this year, a violent confrontation at the Obuasi gold mine resulted in at least seven deaths, raising further concerns about human rights and security responses.

Civil society and religious groups continue to pressure the government to match rhetoric with concrete action, warning that without urgent intervention, the environmental, health, and social costs of illegal mining will spiral further out of control.