President John Dramani Mahama has identified climate change as a major driver of the growing global health crisis, warning that its impact is accelerating the spread and complexity of multiple health threats.
Speaking at the High-Level segment of the One Health Summit in Lyon on Tuesday, April 7, where he is serving as co-chair, the President stressed that climate change sits at the centre of interconnected risks affecting human, animal, and environmental health.
“At the foundation of all these crises is climate change, which underscores the reality that everything is interconnected—from infectious disease outbreaks to antimicrobial resistance and disruptions in food systems,” he stated.
According to President Mahama, these risks are not only increasing but are also becoming more complex and severe at an unprecedented scale, requiring urgent and coordinated global action.
He emphasised the importance of the “One Health” approach, describing it as particularly relevant for Africa, where communities have historically maintained close relationships with nature and understand the link between ecosystems and human survival.
“These risks are converging and intensifying in frequency, complexity, and severity at a scale unprecedented in human history,” he added.
The President called for stronger international collaboration to address the evolving health challenges driven by climate change and other global pressures.
