Addressing health when developing national action plans on artisanal and small-scale gold mining under the Minamata Convention on Mercur

This document provides an approach to addressing health as part of the development of a National Action Plan (NAP) to reduce, and where feasible, eliminate mercury use as required under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Under the Convention, NAPs are a requirement for those Parties that determine that “artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and processing in its territory is more than insignificant.” A NAP must include public health strategies on the exposure of artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their communities to mercury. Such strategies are expected to include gathering health data, training of health care workers, and awareness-raising through health facilities, among other things.