The Government of Ghana has rejected a proposed bilateral health agreement with the United States over concerns about data privacy, according to a Reuters report citing a source familiar with the negotiations.
The decision marks a significant setback to Washington’s efforts to reshape foreign aid under its new global health strategy.
Sources indicate that the administration of President John Dramani Mahama declined the deal primarily due to provisions requiring the sharing of sensitive national health data. The source revealed that while initial discussions were smooth, pressure mounted toward the final stages of negotiations.
“They were pretty normal dealings and negotiations in the beginning, and then increasingly there was a lot more pressure, especially at the end,” the source said.
Also read: The Front pages: Wednesday, 29th April, 2026 (Newspapers)
Ghana’s stance mirrors developments in other countries where similar agreements have faced resistance. Negotiations with Zimbabwe reportedly collapsed over the same concerns, while a court in Kenya has suspended implementation of a comparable deal pending legal challenges by a consumer protection group.
Officials from Ghana’s Foreign Ministry and government have not publicly commented on the development, while the United States Department of State declined to disclose details of the bilateral negotiations.
“We continue to look for ways to strengthen the bilateral partnership between our two countries,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The proposed deal forms part of the “America First Global Health Strategy” introduced by Donald Trump, which seeks to shift more responsibility for disease control to recipient countries while encouraging a transition from aid dependency to self-reliance. The policy also follows the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development earlier this year.
Under the proposed agreement, Ghana stood to receive approximately $109 million in US health assistance over five years, although details of Ghana’s expected financial contribution remain unclear. Data shows that in 2024 alone, the US disbursed about $219 million in foreign assistance to Ghana, including $96 million earmarked for health programmes.
Washington reportedly set April 24 as the deadline for agreeing, but Accra ultimately declined to proceed under the proposed terms and has since communicated its position to US authorities. Despite the setback, the State Department says it has signed 32 agreements under the global health strategy, representing a total of $20.6 billion in funding, with additional memorandums of understanding expected in the coming months.
Reuters