Université Officielle de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Angaza Institute, Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Jan 18;23(1):121. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15020-3.
Health issues are associated with artisanal mining in the DR Congo. The scenario is worst when artisanal mining is done informally or with limited material and technical resources. This paper argues that the adoption of healthy practices by artisanal miners might be limited given that it involves unrealistic socio-economic, and administrative aspects and access to health risk prevention means. Making a conceptual framework on the feasibility of revolutionizing artisanal mining practices linked to health risks in the DR Congo requires trans-disciplinary interventions and researches. This case study aims at co-analyzing with actors in the Luhihi artisanal gold mine, the epidemiology of health issues. It also aims at describing the dynamics of resources that mining actors mobilize or think they can mobilize in order to prevent health risks.
A "socio-anthropological" qualitative study with "transdisciplinary methods" was carried out the Luhihi artisanal mining. Data collection tools and methods included an exploratory survey, semi-structured interviews. Focus groups (FG) mixed with proportional piling were used to support the open-ended interview discussions. The actors interviewed were selected by "convenience sampling" and the saturation principle indicated the size of the sampling. In total, 67 persons were interviewed and 5 FG each consisting of 5 to 10 mining actors were organized. Data were triangulated among respondents to ensure their veracity and an "inductive thematic data analysis" was applied.
Key findings are the role of actors involved the organization system at the Luhihi artisanal mining site; a description of a participative epidemiology and determinants of health issues; presentation of the importance of health risks as perceived by mining actors; the constraints in the common illenesses treatment; and opportunities of collective actions for gathering resources required for the organization of healthcare services.
The results are translated into a grid of powers and interests in relation to the mobilization of resources for the prevention and treatment of health issues. The dialogue for change regarding the ignorance of the actors to exposure to chemical risks such as to exposure mercury, silica, carbon monoxide, and cyanide also entailed the translation of the results. In addition, an analysis of the ability of artisanal mining actors to implement health risk prevention services was made.
在刚果民主共和国，手工采矿与健康问题有关。当手工采矿是非正式进行的，或者资源和技术有限时，情况最为严重。本文认为，由于涉及不切实际的社会经济和行政方面，以及获取健康风险预防手段的机会有限，手工采矿者可能难以采用健康做法。为了制定一个关于在刚果民主共和国颠覆与健康风险相关的手工采矿实践的概念框架，需要跨学科的干预和研究。这项案例研究旨在与卢希希手工金矿的参与者一起，共同分析健康问题的流行病学，并描述采矿者为预防健康风险而调动或认为可以调动的资源的动态。
在卢希希手工采矿中进行了一项“社会人类学”定性研究和“跨学科方法”。数据收集工具和方法包括探索性调查、半结构化访谈。使用混合比例堆积的焦点小组（FG）来支持开放式访谈讨论。通过“便利抽样”选择接受采访的人，并根据饱和原则确定抽样规模。总共采访了 67 人，并组织了 5 个 FG，每个 FG 由 5 到 10 个采矿参与者组成。受访者之间进行了数据三角测量，以确保其真实性，并应用了“归纳主题数据分析”。
主要发现包括在卢希希手工采矿现场组织系统中涉及的参与者角色；描述了一种参与式流行病学和健康问题的决定因素；介绍了采矿参与者所感知的健康风险的重要性；常见疾病治疗的限制；以及为组织医疗保健服务而聚集所需资源的集体行动机会。
结果转化为与预防和治疗健康问题的资源调动有关的权力和利益网格。由于化学风险（如接触汞、二氧化硅、一氧化碳和氰化物）的意识问题，也涉及到利益相关者的对话，这也导致了结果的翻译。此外，还对手工采矿者实施健康风险预防服务的能力进行了分析。
