Title

Child labour in Tanzanian small-scale gold mines: High HIV and violence risk

Presenter

Ramadhani Abdul

Authors

R. Abdul¹, E. Metta¹, J. Charles², L. Kikoyo², A. Koler², N. Toroka², J. Tarimo³, E. Geubbels¹

Institutions

¹Ifakara Health Institute, Health Systems, Impact Evaluation and Policy Department, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of, ²Pact Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of, ³Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Department of Social Welfare, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of

Background: Tanzania is among the world''s leading gold producers, partly through artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Though illegal, child labour in ASM is common and is considered one of the worst forms of child labour. Formative research in Tanzania suggests ASM communities are a high HIV-risk environment. Under the USAID Kizazi Kipya (K2) program, we assessed the association of child labour in ASM with experience of violence, sexual risk behavior and HIV in three councils with ASM activities in Tanzania.
Methods: In 2017, we conducted a baseline survey in ASM communities among 786 children (0-19 years) and their caregivers who had been identified to enroll in the K2 program. We also offered children voluntary HIV testing and counseling. K2 aims to reduce social and health (including HIV) risks of vulnerable children. K2-ASM beneficiaries were divided into children ''working in mining'' (i.e. digging, crushing, washing ore, amalgamation and/or food preparation, bar work and sex work catering to miners) and children ''not in mining'' living in the ASM communities but not working in mining. Respondents age 6 and older who answered the violence questions themselves were included in this descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analysis (n=371).
Results: Sexual, physical and emotional violence had been experienced by 12.6% of boys and 11.2% of girls (p=0.68), 76.1% of girls and 80.3% of boys (p=.32), 47.0% of boys and 33.0% of girls (p < .05) respectively. Working in mining was associated with increased experience of sexual or physical abuse (table). Children working in mining were slightly more likely to have ever had sex, used alcohol, have had transactional sex, have had more than one sexual partner and have used a condom (p > .05). HIV prevalence was statistically significantly higher among children working in mining than among those in the general population (graph).
Conclusions: ASM communities are a structurally high HIV-risk environment for children. Direct involvement in mining work puts both girls and boys at higher risk of experiencing sexual and physical violence. Child protection and HIV programs need to target children in ASM communities. These findings will inform service delivery to these beneficiaries through the K2 program.

		Odds ratio (95% confidence interval)
	n	Sexual violence	Physical violence	Emotional violence
Not in mining Working in mining	121 250	1 2.6 (1.1-6.0)	1 2.4 (1.4-4.1)	1 1.2 (0.7-1.8)
Aged 7-14 years Aged 15-19 years	300 71	1 2.3 (1.2-4.7)	1 0.4 (0.2-0.8)	1 0.9 (0.5-1.6)
Male Female	188 183	1 0.9 (0.5-1.7)	1 0.9 (0.6-1.5)	1 0.6 (0.4-0.9)

[Description of study population and association of working in mining, age and gender with 3 types of experienced violence]

[HIV prevalence among children working and/or living in mining communities, compared to children in general population]

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