French President Emmanuel Macron at the opening of the One Health Summit in Lyon, April 7, 2026. CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/AFP
Three days, more than 20 ministers and national leaders and a symposium bringing together 600 scientists from around the world: The One Health Summit, held from April 5 to 7 in Lyon, France, on the occasion of World Health Day, highlighted for the first time the concept that human, animal, plant and ecosystem health are all closely interconnected.
Despite the quality and enthusiasm of the discussions, the summit concluded without any landmark measures. Nevertheless, it succeeded in putting several issues at the intersection of different health domains onto the international political agenda. These included the threat posed by vector-borne diseases, such as dengue or chikungunya; the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with drugs like antibiotics becoming less effective against infections; sustainable food systems; and environmental pollution, particularly by plastics.
French President Emmanuel Macron sought to make the highly theoretical framework relevant to today's world. "At a time when the challenges posed by global health call for greater coordination than ever, we face an international situation that is splitting that coordination apart," Macron said in his opening speech. In the face of "wars, divisions, declining contributions and doubts expressed by some about our collective organization," the French president sought to emphasize "international and interdisciplinary cooperation."
