Galamsey Threatens Herbal Medicine Industry – Ebenage Herbal CEO Raises Alarm
The Chief Executive Officer of Ebenage Herbal, producers of Hepa Plus, Pavi, and Plasma, Dr Ebenezer Agyemang, has raised a strong alarm over the growing threat that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, poses to Ghana’s herbal medicine industry.
Speaking during the 15th Anniversary and 12th Graduation Ceremony of Say-Adsam Educational Complex at Kotwi in the Atwima-Kwanwoma District, Dr Agyemang cautioned that the survival of the country’s herbal medicine sector is at risk if illegal mining activities are not urgently tackled.
He explained that galamsey has destroyed vital water bodies, degraded fertile lands, and contaminated food crops and medicinal plants with toxic chemicals. These developments, he said, have made it increasingly difficult for herbal medicine practitioners to access safe and quality raw materials for drug production. “The activities of illegal mining have devastated our water bodies. It has become very expensive for herbal companies to treat water for production purposes. If this situation continues, Ghana may soon have to import water and even basic foods like plantain and cassava before we can enjoy healthy meals and produce safe herbal drugs,” Dr Agyemang warned.
He noted that herbal medicine depends heavily on the availability of uncontaminated plants and clean water. However, the pollution of rivers with mercury and other chemicals from galamsey activities has rendered many of these essential resources unsafe, thereby threatening the effectiveness and standardisation of herbal drugs.
Dr Agyemang, therefore, urged herbal practitioners across the country to begin cultivating their own herbs and medicinal plants as a way of securing sustainable resources for the future. He revealed that he had already started growing trees and other plants to ensure the continuous supply of raw materials for his products.
He further appealed to government to support the cultivation of organic medicinal plants, stressing that most medicinal plants had either gone extinct or lost their potency due to the widespread use of pesticides, weedicides, and mining-related chemicals. “The quality of our traditional and alternative medicine depends on the wholesomeness of the raw materials. If the purity of these plants is compromised, it becomes extremely difficult to produce effective medicines for the public. Diseases that were easily treated in the past may no longer be treatable in the future if we fail to act now,” he emphasised.
Dr Agyemang also called on government to intensify the fight against illegal mining while at the same time introducing alternative livelihood opportunities to help small-scale miners transition into sustainable and environmentally friendly occupations. He added that regular medical screenings should be introduced in mining communities to detect mercury poisoning and other mining-related health issues at an early stage.
He warned that if immediate measures are not taken, the galamsey menace could not only collapse the herbal medicine industry but also compromise food security and public health in Ghana. “We cannot afford to trade the health of our people and the future of our industries for short-term gains from illegal mining. The time to act is now,” he concluded.
The Ebenage Herbal CEO’s passionate appeal adds to the growing outcry from civil society, health professionals, and traditional leaders who have been urging government to take a firm stand against illegal mining to safeguard Ghana’s environment and natural resources.
