A Comparative Analysis of Diseases Associated with Mining and Non-Mining Communities: A Case Study of Obusai and Asankrangwa, Ghana

Disease prevalence varies with geographic location. This research pursues a medical geographic perspective and examines the spatial variations in disease patterns between Obuasi, a gold mining town and Asankrangwa, a non gold mining town in Ghana, West Africa. Political ecology/economy and the human ecology frameworks are used to explain the prevalence of diseases. Mining alters the environment and allows disease causing pathogens and vectors to survive more freely than in other similar environments. Certain diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections, ear infections, sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and syphilis, certain skin diseases and rheumatism and joint pains may have a higher prevalence in Obuasi when compared to Asankrangwa due to the mining in Obuasi.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2005

Author dc:creator

• Reddy, Sumanth G.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Oppong, Joseph R.
• Lyons, Donald I.
• McPherson, Michael A.

• Gold mines and mining -- Health aspects -- Ghana -- Obusai.
• Gold mines and mining -- Health aspects -- Ghana -- Asankrangwa.
• mining-related diseases
• gold mining
• Ghana
• political ecology
• human ecology
• health care

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Reddy, Sumanth G.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 68484500
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4839/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4839

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4839