President John Dramani Mahama has raised concerns over the growing impact of environmental degradation on public health in Ghana, citing illegal mining, disease outbreaks, and ecosystem destruction.
Speaking at the One Health Summit 2026 in France, he highlighted the effects of these challenges on livelihoods, particularly among smallholder farmers.
“In my own country of Ghana, a blight of disease and pests affects smallholder cocoa farmers, threatening millions of households,” he said.
He further pointed to the environmental consequences of illegal mining activities.
“Illegal gold mining leads to forest degradation and pollution of our water bodies, threatening the survival of precious populations of birds and insects critical to our biodiversity,” he noted.
President Mahama also warned about the dangers of plastic pollution and its widespread impact.
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“Not to talk about plastic pollution, which is poisoning all our ecosystems. We must advance international action in dealing with plastic pollution,” he urged.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh

