Community Participatory Action Research for Occupational Health Improvement in Artisanal Gold Mining Communities in Zamfara State

Artisanal gold mining in Zamfara State represents a community-based occupational health emergency involving severe lead and mercury exposure, respiratory hazards, and occupational injuries in communities with minimal formal health infrastructure. This doctoral community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) study co-designed, implemented, and evaluated occupational health interventions in four artisanal mining communities in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria. Following an 18-month community engagement and trust-building phase, collaborative research teams comprising researchers, community health workers, mining community representatives, and local government officials jointly conducted participatory hazard mapping, health needs assessments with 680 miners and family members, and priority-setting workshops. Three co-designed interventions were implemented: a community-based lead hazard control training program, a modified amalgamation-free gold processing demonstration unit, and a community health worker occupational health surveillance system. Evaluation used mixed-methods impact assessment at 12 and 24 months. Blood lead levels in adults decreased by 31.4 percent, and mercury inhalation exposure indicators declined by 44.7 percent in communities where amalgamation-free processing was adopted. Community health worker-delivered occupational health surveillance successfully identified 94.3 percent of symptomatic cases for referral. Qualitative process evaluation confirmed strong community ownership and sustainability indicators. The study contributes an original CBPAR model for occupational health intervention in artisanal mining settings and recommends national scaling through the Nigeria Artisanal Mining Authority. Keywords: community participatory research, artisanal gold mining, lead exposure, mercury, Zamfara State.