This review examines health issues around human/social determinants of health within artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). The focus is on working children and violence. Within the area of violence, the collection of health risks is broad, ranging from self‐directed impacts such as suicide or neglect, to interpersonal impacts such as child or intimate partner abuse, and to collective violence such as trafficking, fighting for resources and ultimately war. Discussions on such impacts are less about accidents and illnesses and more about psychological issues. We review studies shedding light on health implications of ASM for children at sites in Suriname and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These studies helped to dispel the perception that the long list of hazards and health risks commonly cited are present at every mining site. Although worker and community interviews provide useful information about accidents and other common ailments, they cannot replace formal medical screenings for serious health problems. There are likely health effects related to criminality and violence. Detailed interviews from Domaine Marial, DRC, with respect to violence to children and intimate women partners are sobering. Violence has also developed with takeovers by local gangs, domestic and transnational organized criminal groups, and insurgent and terrorist groups. Human health can be negatively impacted by worsened working conditions, collateral damage due to fighting among criminal groups and violence more generally, loss of employment or displacement. The negative impacts of ASM can be reduced through policy interventions based on an understanding of what is happening in various countries. Plain Language Summary Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) has been an ongoing enterprise for millennia. With nothing more than primitive tools, gangs of miners work easily accessible deposits of gold, precious stones, colored stones, coal, and more. Modern narratives commonly disparage the worth of ASM, an enterprise that particularly benefits the poorest people in poor countries. Discussions of health issues around children working in ASM are overgeneralized because of a dearth in actual data, and difficulties in understanding poverty issues within the scope of western sensibilities. Health wise, impacts depend on what is being mined, how it is mined and how children participate. Violence and criminality add significant health risks within ASM. Using what limited information is available, the study identifies a collection of physical and psychological risks within mining communities. Again, context is important because of the complexity associated with health determinants. The risks of chemical poisoning and social concerns around mining towns are important within ASM. Criminality and violence are not unexpected in relation to immensely valuable commodities and strategic metals, located in poor but resource rich countries. Traditional ASM is increasingly at risk for collateral health impacts, associated with displacement of indigenous people or control by hostile actors. Key Points Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) is a critically important enterprise with potential to alleviate poverty especially in Africa Current narratives around health and ASM are based on generalized perceptions that are maintained by deficits in real medical information Violence associated with ASM is pervasive and widespread, creating a spectrum of health impacts involving miners and their communities
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