Ghana has rejected a proposed health agreement with the United States, raising concerns over data privacy and sovereignty in a move that underscores growing African pushback against Washington’s new global health approach.
The decision marks the latest setback for policies promoted under President Donald Trump, as several African countries reassess agreements tied to US funding and data-sharing requirements.
According to Ghana’s Data Protection Commission, the proposed deal would have granted US entities broad access to sensitive national health data without sufficient safeguards.
Arnold Kavaarpuo, executive director of the commission, said the scope of the requested data access went far beyond standard international practices.
He warned that the arrangement risked effectively transferring control over Ghana’s health data infrastructure to external actors.
The proposal reportedly included access not only to health datasets, but also to metadata, analytical tools, reporting systems, and underlying data models.
It also allowed multiple US entities to access such data without prior approval from Ghanaian authorities, raising concerns over governance and oversight.
Kavaarpuo stressed that the agreement lacked clear mechanisms to ensure how the data would be used, noting that Ghana would only be notified after access had already taken place.
The deal, estimated at around $300 million, would have provided Ghana with approximately $109 million in funding over five years, alongside additional domestic contributions.
The US State Department declined to comment on specific details of the negotiations but said it remains committed to strengthening bilateral relations.
The agreement is part of a broader US strategy that has seen similar deals signed with more than 30 countries, largely across Africa, following a restructuring of American foreign aid programs.
These initiatives aim to compensate for cuts to traditional aid by offering targeted funding for public health systems and disease response.
However, the approach has triggered increasing concern across the continent, particularly over issues of data protection, fairness, and national sovereignty.
Countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia have also raised objections or reconsidered aspects of similar agreements, signaling a wider pattern of resistance.
Ghana has formally communicated its rejection to Washington and is seeking to renegotiate terms, indicating that future cooperation will depend on stronger guarantees over data control and national oversight.
