Ghana’s president, John Mahama, explained that the United States proposed a health financing arrangement worth $109 million (Sh14.1 billion) over five years, but the cabinet rejected it in May.

Mahama said the Health Ministry’s review highlighted a clause requiring Ghana to provide the United States with its pathogen profile and other medical records, which officials deemed sensitive.

The draft also stipulated that Ghana would need to contribute its own funds to the programme, while stripping the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority of the right to inspect imported medicines and medical products.

Following the Ministry’s concerns, the cabinet instructed the health ministry to inform the US ambassador that Ghana would not sign the deal and would continue to manage its health needs independently.

Mahama framed the rejection as a swift, “record‑time” decision, describing the proposed compact as humiliating for Ghana.

The proposed pact was part of a broader US strategy to negotiate five‑year health agreements directly with individual countries, shifting more financing responsibility to national governments as USAID support declines.

Other African states have expressed similar reservations; Zimbabwe and Namibia have also turned down US health deals over data‑access provisions, while Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda have signed such agreements.

According to the health policy group KFF, 35 countries had signed the new US health agreements by September 11, most of them in Africa.