Child labor in artisanal and small-scale mining: Implications for health, development and poverty

Abstract

This paper investigates the complexities of health-related consequences associated with child labor in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Based on qualitative data from northeast Guinea, our findings reveal pervasive adverse effects on the physical, psychological, and target organ health of affected children, significantly compromising their quality of life. Physical injuries, psychological distress, and exposure to toxic substances are prevalent, underscoring the inadequacy of existing policies and institutional actions to eradicate child labor and ensure the safety of those involved. Drawing from the findings, we have formulated a conceptual framework, the 'Child Labor Poverty Cycle,' to simplify and explain the intricate dynamics and connections among child labor, poor health outcomes, community vulnerability, and persistent poverty. These interrelated outcomes of child labor are detrimental to the socioeconomic wellbeing of communities, necessitating the need for government and stakeholder institutions to improve protection measures against child labor and address rural poverty, which partly drives children into child labor. Decision-makers can adopt the conceptual framework to inform the development of sustainable policies that address the drivers of child labor.