President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has called for urgent and coordinated global action to address emerging health threats at the One Health Summit held in Lyon, France.
Delivering a keynote address at the Summit, President Mahama underscored the growing impact of climate change, environmental degradation and pollution on global health systems and noted that these interconnected challenges were driving increased disease outbreaks, disrupting food systems and threatening livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable regions.
Drawing on Ghana’s experience, he highlighted the adverse effects of illegal mining activities on agricultural productivity, including cocoa farming, as well as the broader risks posed to ecosystems and public health.
He stressed that mostly countries affected by these challenges often lack the resources and capacity to respond effectively and called for strengthened international cooperation, increased investment, and sustained political will to address the imbalance.
President Mahama emphasised that advancing the One Health approach which integrates human and environmental health remains critical, adding that a healthy and resilient Africa is essential to global stability and sustainable development.
