President Mahama Advocates for Traditional Medicine at One Health Summit | Discuss Ghana

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama delivered a powerful keynote address at the One Health Summit in Lyon, France, calling for a "National Reset" of how Africa views its own medical history.

Co-chairing the high-level segment alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Mahama argued that modern health crises—from COVID-19 to Marburg—have exposed the fragility of purely Western-centric systems, necessitating a return to integrated, heritage-based living.

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The Call to Reclaim Native Practices

The President’s speech emphasized that the "One Health" approach—linking human, animal, and environmental health—is actually deeply rooted in African tradition:

A Heritage of Integration:

“Over the past decades, we have faced pandemics and plagues, from COVID-19 to Mpox, Lassa fever, and Marburg; each crisis has highlighted the importance of the One Health approach. We must reclaim our native practices and more actively draw on our heritage of integrated living across the continent.” — President John Dramani Mahama.

Dependence on Nature: Mahama revealed that over 50% of the African population still depends on herbal medicine and natural forest resources for their primary healthcare, yet these practices are often sidelined in global health policy.

The "Accra Reset" Vision: As the founder of the Accra Reset Initiative, the President urged for the formal integration of traditional knowledge into modern surveillance and treatment frameworks to create a more resilient, self-sufficient health system.

Addressing Global Inequity

Beyond the cultural focus, President Mahama sounded the alarm on the "unacceptable" resource gap between the Global North and South:

Inequity as a Threat: He lamented that the countries most at risk of new disease outbreaks often have the fewest resources to respond, stating that "this inequity must be addressed" for global progress.

Sovereignty Over Aid: He reiterated his call for health sovereignty, pushing for African nations to have fair access to financing, technology, and data to build their own infrastructure rather than relying on fragmented international aid.

A Turning Point in Lyon: Mahama challenged world leaders to ensure the Lyon summit becomes more than a "talk shop," demanding the political will to integrate fragmented global health systems.

Diplomatic Timeline: April 7–8, 2026

Event	Date/Time	Key Partners
High-Level Keynote	Tuesday, April 7	President Emmanuel Macron & Dr. Tedros (WHO).
Lyon Summit Closing	Tuesday Evening	Heads of State and Global Health Experts.
Senate Reception	Wednesday, April 8	Gérard Larcher (President of the French Senate).
Bilateral Summit	Wednesday Afternoon	President Macron at the Élysée Palace.

“A healthy and thriving Africa is a positive force for global progress. We must now muster the political will to integrate fragmented systems.” — President Mahama.