Public Health Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, has stressed the urgent need for sustained public education to address the devastating impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on Ghana’s food systems and public health.
Speaking on JoyNews’ SMS on Tuesday, following a report on food commodities sourced from galamsey-affected areas and sold in Accra’s markets, Dr Asiedu said public education remains the most effective tool in tackling the menace.
“We need to continue fighting, we cannot give up,” he urged.
He noted that many Ghanaians, especially at the community level, are unaware of the direct link between galamsey activities and food contamination. He therefore called for a coordinated national information campaign to bridge this knowledge gap.
Dr Asiedu further urged the government to invest heavily in public information agencies to scale up education efforts, particularly in local dialects.
“What I think we have to also do is to have this conversation in our local dialects,” he advised.
He warned that failing to act would deepen public ignorance and worsen the crisis.
“If we do not go in there to demystify this obvious ignorance, then we are in trouble,” he lamented.
According to him, empowering institutions with adequate resources will help demystify misconceptions and raise awareness about the long-term dangers of galamsey to food security and public health.