An early version of this report served as a background document for a WHO technical consultation on artisanal and small-scale gold mining and health, which took place on 1-2 October 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. The overarching goals of this meeting were to: a)bring together world experts in order to take stockof current developments in the field. b)solicit expert input in order to further develop WHO guidance to support the articulation of public health strategies on ASGM and training materials for building the capacity of health-care providers to identify and address environmental and occupational health issues associated with ASGM. The current report provides a summary of the literature review that was carried out to support the development of the WHO guidance referred to above. It covers the environmental and occupational health hazards and adverse health outcomes associated with ASGM. Issues and special considerations for women and children are also explored.
The overall goal of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership is to protect human health and the environment from the releases of mercury.