Ghana rejects US health aid deal over sensitive data concerns

Ghana has declined a proposed bilateral health agreement with the United States, citing objections to terms requiring the sharing of sensitive citizen health data with American authorities.

A government source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the decision was driven by “unhealthy concerns” over data privacy provisions within the deal.

“The country could not agree to share information as sensitive as health data about the citizenry with a foreign nation,” the source said.

Ghana has since formally communicated its decision to the United States government.

Negotiations Fall Apart

Bilateral negotiations on the health assistance package began in November 2025. The proposed five-year deal would have provided $109 million in US assistance to support Ghana’s health sector.

The source indicated that what started as routine negotiations took a difficult turn as US officials intensified demands over specific contractual terms. Washington had set April 24, 2026, as a deadline to finalise the agreement.

Ultimately, Ghanaian officials determined they could not accept the conditions.

New US Aid Strategy

The proposed agreement fell under America’s “America First Global Health Strategy,” announced by President Donald Trump’s administration in September last year. The policy requires poorer nations to assume greater responsibility for combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio within their borders, with the goal of transitioning from aid dependency to self-reliance.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled earlier this year.

Broader African Pushback

Ghana’s position mirrors similar resistance elsewhere on the continent. Negotiations with Zimbabwe collapsed earlier this year, while a Kenyan court has suspended implementation of that country’s US health deal pending a legal challenge filed by a consumer protection group.

US Response

The US State Department declined to disclose details of bilateral negotiations when contacted by Reuters for comment.

“We continue to look for ways to strengthen the bilateral partnership between our two countries,” a spokesperson told the news organisation.

The State Department confirmed that as of April 20, 2026, 32 deals had been signed under the America First Global Health Strategy, representing $20.6 billion in combined funding — $12.8 billion from the US and $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient nations.

Existing US Assistance

Data from the US government shows that Washington disbursed $219 million in foreign assistance to Ghana in 2024, including $96 million specifically designated for health programmes — before the current administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid.