A Pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Prof. Paul Poku Sampene Ossei has revealed that babies in galamsey areas are being born with deformities.
He explained that babies are being born with one eye, without genitalia and other deformities.
According to Prof. Ossei who also doubles as the Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, KNUST, children born in areas prone to illegal mining suffer cognitive impairment and other deformities due to the high use of heavy metals used in gold extraction by galamsey operators.
“The first thing that affects these babies when they are infected by these toxins is cognitive impairment; their brains do not respond to these normal things that we see,” he said.
“The child’s gastrointestinal tract has a very high affinity to all those metals, which includes lead,” noted the pathologist.
Speaking to Kumasi-based Luv FM, on the impacts of illegal mining on health and security, the pathologist noted instances where babies are born with their legs forming around the chest, neck and stomach.
“In Ghana, we have babies being born with one eye, without genitalia.”
“The placenta of a pregnant woman has a high affinity for lead. So if such a woman lives in a galamsey area, her baby will certainly have deformities when born,” he said.