In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the mining of cobalt and copper—critical materials for battery technologies—appears to be taking a toll on the reproductive health of women, with preliminary research suggesting a rise in birth defects, miscarriages and infections in communities near mining sites.
Located in the Golf Musonoie region of Kolwezi, known as the “world’s cobalt capital,” these mining operations are contributing to a disturbing trend. In the heart of this region, just a few kilometers from Kolwezi, the Trinité Medical Center serves as a frontline observation point for the negative health impacts on local women. The center is situated just 100 meters from a large copper and cobalt mine operated by COMMUS (Compagnie Minière de Musonoïe), a subsidiary of the Chinese multinational Zijin Mining.
The dust and pollution from the mine, kicked up by passing trucks loaded with ore, settle into homes, including the health center. “Sometimes, when the company guards are chasing illegal miners from the site, they throw projectiles that land near the medical center,” says Julie Nshinda, a nurse who runs the Trinité center. This pollution, coupled with the proximity of the mine to residential areas, is raising concerns about its impact on women’s health.
In a region already suffering from the consequences of industrial mining, which has been accelerating since 2019, there is a clear and concerning pattern emerging. Women in the area are increasingly reporting health issues that seem to be tied to the mining industry. Nshinda describes frequent cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), congenital malformations in babies, and miscarriages. She has even witnessed babies born with internal organs protruding from their bellies or suffering from severe brain defects. “I see many cases of threatened miscarriages and premature births. Some women arrive in pain, only to find that the fetus is already dead,” she explains.
The center sees five to 10 women per month with reproductive health complaints. A week after our visit, Nshinda reported a particularly shocking case: a baby born with its brain protruding from its forehead. Many of the women seeking medical care at the center have expressed concerns about the pollution originating from the nearby mine.
Research from UK-based RAID and Congolese NGO AFREWATCH, published in March 2024, supports these concerns. Their report, titled “Environmental Impact of Mining in the DRC,” highlights the potential link between copper and cobalt mining and reproductive health issues. While the scientific community remains uncertain about the precise impact of contact with mining waste, sulfuric acid, and heavy metals, the report points to a rise in gynecological and reproductive problems since the intensification of mining activities in the region.
Angèle, a woman in her 40s who has worked in the Kolwezi artisanal mines for 16 years, describes her personal struggle with miscarriages. “I have had four successive miscarriages in the last few years. Every time I get to three months of pregnancy, I feel abdominal pain, and then I lose the baby,” she says. Living less than a kilometer from the COMMUS industrial mine, Angèle believes her work in the artisanal mines, handling copper and cobalt, could be contributing to her repeated miscarriages.
In Kolwezi, many women work in artisanal mining, where they extract copper and cobalt from the residues of large industrial operations like COMMUS. These women, often working with bare hands in the contaminated water, are exposed to not only the toxic chemicals and metals from the mining waste but also the possibility of radiation. Artisanal miners frequently handle rocks containing small amounts of uranium and thorium, which decay into radioactive elements. The exposure to such radiation is compounded by poor working conditions, such as dust and lack of protective gear.
“Some women report rashes or tickling sensations in their genital areas after working with the ores,” says Suzanne Ngwewe, who supervises women cleaning ore at a mining site in Kapata, about 20 minutes outside Kolwezi. The women working at this site often spend up to 10 hours a day in water, cleaning ore without proper protection from potential radiation exposure. “We also have to follow strict rules at work to avoid contamination, but many of these women have no idea about the risks,” she adds.
Pollution from mining not only affects those working directly in the industry but also impacts the broader community. Nshinda notes that prior to the arrival of industrial mining in the region, her medical center primarily treated common illnesses like malaria, typhoid, and simple fevers. However, since mining intensified in 2019, there has been a noticeable increase in reproductive health problems, especially among women of childbearing age.
Preliminary research from the University of Lubumbashi’s toxicology department supports these findings. Célestin Banza Lubaba, the director of the department, noted that industrial pollution in local rivers is contributing to the acidification of water, which could be linked to reproductive health issues. Further analyses are still underway, but the initial results suggest a worrying connection between mining activity and health outcomes for local women.
In April 2024, the DRC government temporarily suspended operations at the COMMUS mine due to suspicions of high radioactivity in the extracted ores. However, the suspension was lifted just a month later, raising questions about the long-term health risks associated with mining in the region.
As industrial and artisanal mining continue to expand in Kolwezi and other parts of the DRC, the link between mining pollution and reproductive health problems is becoming increasingly clear. The need for stricter environmental regulations and better health protections for women living and working in mining communities is more urgent than ever. Until these issues are addressed, the people of Kolwezi and surrounding areas will likely continue to bear the heavy burden of a mining industry driving the global transition to cleaner energy, at a significant cost to their health.
