President John Dramani Mahama departed Accra on Monday for an official visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, in a trip that will place Ghana at the centre of a major global health policy gathering before moving to high-level bilateral talks in Paris.
The visit will begin in Lyon, where President Mahama will attend the 2026 One Health Summit and co-chair its high-level segment with President Macron on Tuesday. The summit brings together world leaders, health ministers, and global health experts to discuss pressing issues affecting global health systems, sustainable food production, and joint strategies to address emerging health challenges.
The One Health Summit highlights the interdependence of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health, and the need for coordinated, science-based approaches to shared health threats. For the first time, the summit will bring together heads of state and government alongside representatives from the public and private sectors, international organisations, academia, civil society and youth.
President Mahama will deliver two keynote addresses during the summit. The first will focus on global health architecture and will be delivered at a session co-chaired by President Macron and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization (WHO), with discussions expected to centre on reforms to global health systems and the adoption of a political declaration aimed at strengthening international cooperation.
The second keynote address will be delivered at the opening of the high-level segment for heads of state and government, during which President Mahama will outline Ghana’s commitments and perspectives on global health security.
On Wednesday, April 8, President Mahama will hold a bilateral meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace. Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening Ghana-France relations, with particular attention to health, education, trade, investment, and regional security. Before the Élysée meeting, the President will be received by Gérard Larcher, President of the French Senate, at the Senate House.
The visit underscores Ghana’s growing role in global policy discussions, particularly in the area of health diplomacy, and highlights the government’s efforts to position the country as a key player in international cooperation initiatives. President Mahama is expected to return to Accra after concluding his engagements in Paris.
