Ghana: John Dramani Mahama details reasons for rejecting the American health agreement

Ghana has decided not to sign a new health agreement proposed by the United States, intended to replace part of the funding previously provided by USAID. President John Dramani Mahama explained that provisions such as sharing health data, funding conditions, and the regulation of medicines—particularly the requirement to transmit pathogen profiles and medical data, and the lack of FDA oversight—were deemed unacceptable and infringed on national sovereignty. These conditions, described as 'humiliating' by Mahama, led the Ghanaian government to reject the agreement after review by the Ministry of Health. The decision comes amid reduced US aid and growing concerns over external financial dependence in the health sector.