France’s Macron Hosts One Health Summit in Lyon, Defying Global Health Leadership Indifference

Last week, France’s President Emmanuel Macron defied the trend of political indifference in high-income countries by hosting an international summit on One Health in Lyon, France.

The One Health Summit took place on April 7, 2026, coinciding with World Health Day, and brought together heads of state and government, international organizations, scientists, civil society, and youth representatives to advance global action on the interconnected health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems.

Hosted by the French Government as one of the flagship events of its G7 Presidency, the summit marked the first time such a high-level gathering focused exclusively on the One Health approach, which recognizes that human health is deeply connected to animal health, environmental health, and food systems.

Upon his arrival in Lyon, President Macron participated in a meeting on the architecture of global health before opening the high-level session that convened key international stakeholders.

The summit emphasized the need for coordinated, science-based responses to shared health threats, drawing lessons from recent health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the dangers of fragmented responses and the value of prevention, knowledge sharing, and international cooperation.

This article is based on verified reporting from The Lancet and official sources including the French Presidency, World Health Organization, and summit documentation from April 2026.