Ghanaian President John Mahama said Washington wanted renewed talks over a health compact his Cabinet had rejected. The proposal offered approximately 109 million dollars over five years, but Ghana objected to terms involving medical data, national sovereignty, local funding and medicines regulation. Discussions would address changing or removing those provisions; a replacement agreement has not been announced.
Ghanaian President John Mahama said on October 10 that the United States wanted to revisit a health compact rejected by his Cabinet. Speaking at a citizens’ engagement in Goaso, in Ghana’s Ahafo Region, he said talks could consider changing or removing provisions Ghana had found unacceptable. A replacement agreement has not been announced.[1], [2]
The proposal offered approximately 109 million dollars in US health assistance over five years. It was intended to replace some resources previously supplied through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. Cabinet rejected the terms over sensitive health information, national sovereignty, Ghana’s own financial contribution and the powers of its Food and Drugs Authority, which regulates medicines and medical products.[1]
Mahama had explained the rejection at a Council on Foreign Relations dialogue in New York on September 25. He said Ghana’s health ministry examined the proposal and sent an information paper to Cabinet, which identified problematic clauses.[1]
The president objected to sharing the national pathogen profile, information about disease-causing organisms circulating in Ghana, and citizens’ medical records. He also criticised provisions requiring Ghanaian funding and restricting inspections of medicines entering under the arrangement. Those objections describe Mahama’s assessment of the initial proposal; the renewed request is for discussions over its disputed terms.[1]
