Lyon, France — President John Dramani Mahama has called for urgent global action to confront escalating health threats, outlining three key steps for world leaders while warning of the growing links between climate change, disease, and inequality.
Speaking at the One Health Summit 2026 in Lyon, President Mahama stressed that the time had come to move beyond rhetoric to concrete action.
“The period of declarations must come to an end. The moment for coordinated effort is here, and let us start from Lyon,” he said.
From Commitments to Action
President Mahama’s first call to action focused on the need for implementation over promises.
He urged global leaders to shift from repeated commitments to tangible results, stressing that policies must translate into real interventions that address emerging health threats.
Integrating One Health into National and Global Systems
The President’s second call emphasised the integration of One Health strategies into national development agendas.
He advocated aligning these strategies with a broader global public health framework, while also incorporating them into international security systems.
“Let us connect our One Health strategies for our national development agendas to a new global framework for public health,” he urged.
Prioritising Prevention and Early Warning Systems
On his third call, President Mahama underscored the importance of prevention through robust surveillance systems.
He called for the establishment of early warning mechanisms at the community level, describing them as the most effective defence against future pandemics.
“Let us concentrate on building a new preventive shield and an intelligent radar system at its source,” he said.
He added that such systems must be “smart, dynamic, agile and interoperable” to ensure efficiency and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
Climate Change Driving Global Health Threats
Beyond the calls to action, President Mahama warned of an unprecedented convergence of health threats affecting humans, animals, and plants.
He identified climate change as the underlying force intensifying these risks.
“At the foundation of all these crises is the phenomenon of climate change; everything is interconnected,” he stated.
The President highlighted the links between infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and disruptions to global food systems.
Ghana’s Experience: Cocoa, Illegal Mining and Environmental Damage
Drawing from Ghana’s experience, President Mahama pointed to the impact of diseases and pests on smallholder cocoa farmers.
He also raised concerns about illegal mining, noting its destructive effects on forests and water bodies.
“Illegal gold mining leads to forest degradation and pollution of our water bodies, threatening the survival of precious populations of birds and insects,” he said.
Plastic Pollution and Ecosystem Risks
President Mahama further warned that plastic pollution is compounding environmental and health challenges globally.
“Plastic pollution is poisoning all our ecosystems. We must advance international action in dealing with plastic pollution,” he stressed.
Global Inequality and Africa’s Case
On inequality, the President described the disparity in global health resources as unacceptable.
“The countries that are most at risk have the least resources to cope. This must change,” he said.
He called for equitable access to financing, technology, data, and innovation, arguing that strengthening Africa would benefit the global community.
“A healthy and thriving Africa is no threat to anyone. It will be a positive force for global progress,” he added.
Prevention Over Cure
President Mahama made a strong case for prevention-led health systems, describing them as more efficient and sustainable.
“Prevention is not only more effective, but also much more cost-effective than cure,” he noted.
He cited Ghana’s rollout of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and primary healthcare programmes as examples of this approach.
Lessons from Past Outbreaks
Referencing outbreaks such as COVID-19, Mpox, Lassa fever, and Marburg virus disease, the President said the world has yet to fully adapt.
“Each crisis has highlighted the importance of the One Health approach,” he noted, adding that global systems remain slow to respond.
Call for Political Will
President Mahama urged world leaders to demonstrate stronger political will in addressing fragmented global systems.
“Let Lyon be the turning point,” he said.
Decisions That Will Shape the Future
He concluded by stressing that decisions taken at the summit would have far-reaching consequences for global health security.
“The decisions we make at this summit will shape the future of global health security… let us ensure that they result in tangible, measurable outcomes for our people and our planet,” he stated.
The summit, hosted by France under its G7 Presidency, has brought together global leaders and experts to advance coordinated action on the interconnected health of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
