Galamsey Activities Fuelling HIV Transmission In Upper Denkyira West District Communities –Health Director
Unregulated small-scale mining activities (galamsey) not only degrade the forests, pollute farmlands and river bodies with heavy metals and contribute to fatal health problems, but the activities also provide a conducive environment facilitating the spread of HIV at an alarming rate.
According to research conducted by the an investigative journalist and Upper Denkyira Health Directorate, any time a mining operation is setup in a region, including Central Region, the community’s HIV cases doubled afterwards.
Which means that the local population living in the community becomes twice as likely to be HIV positive as before the mine opened.
According to more research,Mining operations also increase the likelihood of multiple sex partners by 70%, high-risk sex partners by 30%, and sex without a condom by 70%.
In addition, 20% of the people living in mining communities have less knowledge about HIV than people living in non-mining areas.
These findings suggest that mining activities significantly increase the risk of HIV among local populations.
Health Director,Mr Fidelis Kon-Angna emphasized that, consistently, data from the HIV surveillance reports have revealed that, Upper Denkyira West District communities have had their HIV prevalence higher than the rest of the districts or greater than the regional prevalence.
According to Stephen Nti,the District Health Information officer (DHIO), 2025 HIV prevalence report, Central Region has recorded 1386 in the half of this year, and Upper Denkyira West has also recorded 84, which represents 6.% as against a whole last year 2024 8.7%.
Mr Fidelis Kon-Angna caution and advise the entire District to do well to protect themselves with condom or to stick with one partner.
He added that, the galamsey activities are seriously fueling HIV transmission in the District, and it is real.
Report by; Oheneba Kesse Brempong
