Professor John H. Amuasi of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi addressed the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin, urging a pivot from reactive treatment to proactive prevention of health crises.
In a session titled “Ecological Determinants of Resilient Health Systems: Scaling Upstream Prevention to Anticipate, Prevent, and Adapt to Emerging Health Risks,” Amuasi presented “One Health and Upstream Prevention.” He likened conventional healthcare to rescuing people who have already fallen into a river, stressing the need to stop the falls in the first place.
Amuasi, co‑chair of The Lancet One Health Commission, highlighted that health is inseparable from human, animal and environmental interactions. He cited climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and illegal mining as Ghanaian examples that show why prevention must start outside hospitals.
The professor argued that a One Health approach requires collaboration across environmental, agricultural, educational and industrial sectors. He called for early education on One Health concepts from primary school through university to reshape public values about health and the environment.
He also urged media and communication professionals to work with scientists and educators to disseminate health information in accessible ways.
While acknowledging the necessity of hospitals, medicines and emergency systems, Amuasi stressed that preventing the conditions that lead to illness must receive equal, if not greater, attention.
