BURKINA FASO · GOLD AND HEALTH
Key Facts
- The country Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African nation, run by a military government, with large gold output.
- What happened Declared hand-dug gold was 484 kilograms in 2022, about 2% of the 20 tonnes officials estimate.
- The workforce A 2017 peer-reviewed study says hand-dug gold supports about 700,000 families.
- The danger Miners breathe silica dust and handle mercury and cyanide; silicosis, a lung scarring disease, cannot be reversed.
- US travel The State Department, Washington’s foreign ministry, says Do Not Travel (Level 4) and flags mining areas.
Burkina Faso gold dug by hand supports about 700,000 families, a 2017 peer-reviewed study says. The miners breathe dust and handle chemicals that can harm them for life.
This explainer covers who the miners are, how much of their gold the state sees, and why it matters to US readers. It sits beside our report on Burkina Faso gold exports and our country explainer.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Artisanal mining means gold dug and washed by hand or with simple tools, outside the big company mines. The National Agency for the Supervision of Artisanal and Semi-Mechanised Mining Operations (ANEEMAS), created by decree on 30 November 2015, regulates it.
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing fine silica dust, the main dust in rock and sand. Silica scars lung tissue, and the damage is irreversible and gets worse over time.
What Burkina Faso Gold Miners Breathe and Handle
In 2017, researchers at the Muraz Centre, a health institute in Bobo-Dioulasso, surveyed 200 miners at two northern sites. All of them knew mining harms health, and the paper says mercury and cyanide used in the work harm workers, nearby communities and ecosystems.
Only 60% of the miners could name at least three of five health effects, and 88.5% rated the health impact as important. The authors concluded that miners lack knowledge of the dangers and called for awareness campaigns.
The authors of a 2025 survey in Mongolia note that studies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe also link silica dust in hand-dug gold mines to silicosis. In their own survey of 124 miners at one Mongolian site, 19.4% had silicosis, and they call it an irreversible and progressive disease.
How Much Gold the State Sees
Burkina Faso’s own mining transparency report for 2022 says artisanal and semi-mechanised producers declared 484.11 kilograms of gold that year, up from 268.2 in 2021. The report cites studies putting real artisanal output near 20 tonnes a year, so the declared amount is about 2.4% of that estimate.
A parliamentary inquiry cited in the report put undeclared artisanal output between 15 and 30 tonnes a year. Large industrial mines produced 57.67 tonnes in 2022, worth about CFA francs 2,063 billion (about US$3.5 billion at the 2 November exchange rate).
Planet GOLD, a global mercury-reduction programme, counts over 430,000 direct workers at 440 sites, against about 700,000 families in the 2017 study. It puts yearly output near 50 tonnes, while a UN Environment Programme figure in the mining report tops 32 tonnes of Burkina Faso gold.
What It Means for US Readers
The State Department rates Burkina Faso Level 4, Do Not Travel, in an advisory issued on 16 April 2025, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping. It names mining sites as possible terrorist targets, and US government staff may not travel outside the capital, Ouagadougou.
For investors, the gap shows how much Burkina Faso gold moves outside official books, which matters to anyone judging West African supply. Our reports on Burkina Faso’s gold exports and on the country’s role in Africa give the wider picture.
The military government’s transitional parliament has also voted to bring back the death penalty, as our report on the new penal code explains. Our country explainer covers who rules Burkina Faso, and our guide to Burkina Faso domain names helps US firms.
What Is Not Known
No official figure on silicosis cases among Burkina Faso gold miners has been published that we could confirm. The number of people mining by hand is also not officially counted.
It is not known how many young workers return home sick from sites in Burkina Faso or neighbouring countries. Nor is it clear whether the state will start health screening at mining sites.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is silicosis?
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing silica dust, common in mining and quarrying. It scars the lungs permanently and can worsen even after the exposure stops.
How many people depend on artisanal gold in Burkina Faso?
A 2017 peer-reviewed study says artisanal gold mining supports about 700,000 families. There is no recent official head count that we could confirm.
How much artisanal gold does Burkina Faso declare?
Officials counted 484.11 kilograms in 2022. The same report cites an estimate of about 20 tonnes a year, so the declared amount is about 2.4% of it.
Is it safe for US citizens to visit Burkina Faso mining areas?
No. The State Department rates Burkina Faso Level 4, Do Not Travel, and lists areas near mining sites as possible terrorist targets.
Which chemicals are used at artisanal gold sites?
A 2017 peer-reviewed study of Burkina Faso sites names mercury and cyanide. It says both harm workers, communities and ecosystems.
Sources: US State Department: Burkina Faso Travel Advisory, Level 4 Do Not Travel, 16 April 2025; Burkina Faso 2022 EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) report, including ANEEMAS declared artisanal gold data, 2024; Decree 2015-1420 creating ANEEMAS, Official Journal no. 7, 18 February 2016, 30 November 2015; Sana A, De Brouwer C, Hien H: knowledge and perceptions of health and environmental risks of artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso, Pan African Medical Journal 27:280, 21 August 2017; Dansran D et al: Artisanal gold mining in Mongolia, silica exposure and silicosis, Safety and Health at Work 16(2), PubMed 40575688, 2025; Planet GOLD: Burkina Faso country page, 2 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief