Mahama explains why Ghana rejected US health deal citing medical data breaches

Nii Ayitey Brown 17:56 - 28 September 2026

Donald Trump (left) and President John Dramani Mahama (right)

President John Mahama has explained why Ghana rejected a proposed US health compact, citing concerns over medical data, counterpart funding and FDA inspection powers.

Mahama says Ghana rejected the US health compact because of concerns over medical records, pathogen data and FDA powers.
The proposed deal was reported by Reuters to include $109 million in US funding over five years, with Ghana expected to provide additional financing.
Ghana has chosen to manage its health priorities independently while continuing health cooperation with the US and other development partners.

President John Dramani Mahama has explained why Ghana rejected a proposed health compact from the United States, saying concerns over sensitive health information, counterpart funding and the inspection of medical products led Cabinet to turn down the deal.

President John Mahama

Mahama said the proposed agreement was meant to replace some of the health funding Ghana previously received from the US following changes to American foreign aid policy.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on September 25, 2026, Mahama said Ghana's Ministry of Health reviewed the compact and rejecting because it required access to the health records of Ghanaians in exchange.

He said several provisions were flagged, particularly those relating to Ghana's health data and regulatory powers.

“It states that we shall give the United States our pathogen profile. It also says we should give our medical records. I mean, who takes another country's medical records?” Mahama said.

Mahama also said the proposed arrangement required Ghana to provide a certain amount of funding of its own. He added that the deal stated that the country will have no power to inspect medicines and other medical products brought into Ghana under the programme.

And then it also says, We would have to put up a certain amount of money as part of the program into healthcare. And then it also says that any Medications or any medical products that shall be brought into our country, our Food and Drug Administration has absolutely no rights. To inspect. I mean, it was humiliating.

He said Cabinet rejected the proposal quickly and instructed the Health Minister to inform the US Ambassador that Ghana would manage its health needs without the proposed arrangement.

“Yeah, And so It was the compact that was thrown out in record time in our cabinet. I've never seen anything thrown out as fast as that. And so of course we rejected it. And we asked the health minister to inform the US ambassador that we didn't need it,” he explained.

Ghana rejected the deal in April 2026 and the deal was worth about $109 million over five years.

President John Mahama has justified government’s decision to reject a health compact from the United States, describing the terms as humiliating.

The United States offered some $100 million to Ghana to support its health needs through a compact that reportedly required access to… pic.twitter.com/QGQrUlc3Iu
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) September 28, 2026

Politics Africa Public Health