President John Dramani Mahama has given an inspiring challenge to global leaders to move beyond rhetoric and embrace a new era of coordinated action to protect the planet’s health and that of its inhabitants.
President Mahama spoke at the One Health Summit 2026, which he co-chaired with President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, Paris, and issued a visionary three-point “Call to Action” to confront the converging risks of climate change, new illnesses, and global inequity.
“The period of declarations must come to an end. The moment for coordinated effort is here, and let us start from Lyon,” the President declared.
President Mahama suggested three critical pillars to accomplish this:
1. Action over Pledges: A transition from political commitment to the rigorous implementation of health protocols.
2. Global Integration: The embedding of “One Health” strategies—which link human, animal, and environmental health—into national development agendas and a new, unified global public health framework.
3. The Preventive Shield: The establishment of an “intelligent radar system” at the community level. The President described this as a smart, agile, and interoperable early warning mechanism designed to stop pandemics at their source before they cross borders.
President Mahama made a clear connection between the rise in health risks for all animals and the global climate catastrophe.
“At the foundation of all these crises is the phenomenon of climate change; everything is interconnected,” he said, citing the concerning increase in antibiotic resistance and the disruptions to the world’s food systems.
The President emphasised how environmental deterioration directly affects livelihoods and health by sharing the Ghanaian experience.
He mentioned the ecological harm brought about by illegal mining (galamsey), which contaminates water bodies and endangers biodiversity, as well as the terrible effects of pests on smallholder cocoa growers.
He also described plastic pollution as a “poison” to the world’s ecosystems and urged swift international action against it.
The President’s speech focused on the intolerable disparity in resources between developed and underdeveloped countries. Global health security, he contended, is only as strong as its weakest link.
“The countries that are most at risk have the least resources to cope. This must change,” President Mahama declared, calling for equitable access to data, technology, and funding.
“A healthy and thriving Africa is no threat to anyone. It will be a positive force for global progress.” he said, reminding the summit that Africa’s wealth is crucial to world stability.
Citing Ghana’s success with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and expanded primary healthcare programs as proof that prevention is more economical than treatment, President Mahama promoted a “prevention-led” approach to healthcare.
Additionally, he pointed out that African traditional wisdom is the foundation of the “One Health” concept, which is not new to the continent.
The President declared, “In Africa, our lived experience leads us to accept without question that human survival, animal well-being, and environmental care form a single interconnected system.”
President Mahama called on the international community to overcome disjointed systems and demonstrate the political will required to create a resilient future while considering the lessons learned from COVID-19, Mpox, and Marburg.
He said, “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.”
Source: newsthemegh.com