Ghana has turned down a proposed health partnership with the United States, citing serious concerns over data privacy, sovereignty, and governance control in what has become the latest African pushback against Washington’s revised global health funding model.
The decision was confirmed in Accra by Arnold Kavaarpuo, Executive Director of Ghana’s Data Protection Commission, who said the proposed agreement raised red flags over the extent of access requested to the country’s sensitive health information systems.
According to him, the deal would have allowed multiple U.S.-linked entities broad access to Ghana’s health data infrastructure, including dashboards, reporting tools, data models, and metadata, with limited local oversight.
He warned that the scope of access went “far beyond what would typically be required,” adding that the structure of the agreement effectively risked placing Ghana’s health data architecture under external control.
Under the proposed arrangement, valued at about $300 million, Ghana was expected to receive roughly $109 million in U.S. funding over five years, alongside additional domestic investment commitments.
However, concerns emerged over governance safeguards. Kavaarpuo explained that the proposal allowed up to ten U.S. entities to access health data without prior approval from Ghanaian authorities, a condition he said undermined national control.
He described the arrangement as one that shifted oversight from Ghanaian institutions to external actors, where the country would only be informed after data-related activities had already taken place rather than approving them beforehand.
The United States, through its State Department, declined to comment on the specifics of the negotiations, stating only that it continues to seek ways to strengthen bilateral relations with Ghana.
The proposed deal forms part of a wider shift under Washington’s “America First” global health funding strategy, which has replaced previous programmes run through the now-dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development.
Similar agreements have been offered to more than 30 countries, mostly in Africa, but several governments have raised objections over data privacy, sovereignty, and fairness in implementation.
Ghana now joins a growing list of countries reassessing or rejecting aspects of the framework. Zimbabwe previously declined a similar proposal, while Zambia has also reportedly pushed back on key provisions.
Health activists across the continent have warned that such agreements risk weak safeguards around data use and could limit equitable access to healthcare support, depending on how implementation is structured.
Despite rejecting the current terms, Ghana has not shut the door on cooperation. Officials say the country has communicated its position to Washington and is seeking improved conditions for a revised agreement that better protects national interests.
Negotiations are expected to continue, but Ghana’s stance signals a firmer regional push for tighter control over health data governance in international partnerships.
