Health advocacy a vital tool for galamsey fight – Health Specialist

Dr. Nii Hanson-Norte, a Health Specialist, has called for persistent media advocacy on the consequences of illegal mining (galamsey) on people's health to make a case for policy intervention. He warned that Ghana would soon be at risk if journalists did not engage in health advocacy to pressure policymakers to take immediate action and establish long-term solutions to the problem. Dr Hanson-Norte made the call during a virtual presentation, as part of a four-day skills development training for journalists and editors of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sogakope in the Volta Region. The training was facilitated by the Institute for Digital Marketing and Communication Ghana (IDMC-Ghana) and formed part of the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP), being sponsored by the African Development Bank. Dr. Hanson-Norte expressed worry that there was little public health advocacy in Ghana and urged journalists to use the illegal mining crisis as a case study to start 'proper' health advocacy to protect the environment and enhance public health. 'It is interesting that in Ghana we are not getting a lot of health advocacy being done. One of the big issues that I believe we should be doing a lot of health advocacy is the issue of galamsey. 'We need to fight, other than that our country would be in jeopardy very soon. It is so sad that we have allowed this concept of unbridled mining to destroy our environment,' he said. The rising spate of illegal mining has sparked public outrage, with devastating consequences for people's well-being. Pollutants, notably heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, are frequently released during the gold separation process, which often employed chemicals such as cyanide, sulphuric acid, and nitric acid. The Ghana Medical Association and other health-sector unions have cautioned that the country would face 'environmental catastrophe' with serious health implications if urgent action were not taken. The Pharmacy Technicians Association of Gh ana has also hinted of an emerging patient's resistance to some drugs used in treating patients with side effects from illegal mining. Dr. Hanson-Norte said that journalists had a responsibility to contribute to enhanced public education during disease outbreaks. He said diseases should not be used to instill fear and urged the media to verify material to avoid misinformation and disinformation during health communication. The PSDPEP is a five-year initiative sponsored by the African Development Bank and implemented by the Social Investment Fund, and the Ghana News Agency is one of its beneficiaries. The training is to equip participants with the skills needed to effectively advocate for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), public health, gender, and climate change issues to facilitate Ghana's economic recovery. It aims to maximise the role of the media in Ghana's pandemic recovery and rebuilding efforts, as well as to empower journalists to champion issues related to gender equality to improve the country's overall human resource development. Mrs. Beatrice Asamani Savage, Director of Editorial, GNA, encouraged participants to take advantage of the training to intensify advocacy on challenges confronting vulnerable groups and communities in the country. 'We are journalists because we have decided to actualise the people's rights, and contribute to good democratic governance… The GNA is professional, purposeful, and ethical and we strive to be impactful,' she said. Source: Ghana News Agency