President John Dramani Mahama has explained why Ghana declined to sign a proposed health compact with the United States, citing concerns over health data, counterpart funding and the regulatory treatment of medical products.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on September 25, 2026, Mahama said Ghana’s Ministry of Health reviewed the proposed compact and flagged several provisions before the matter went before Cabinet.
According to the President, one concern involved provisions he said would require Ghana to provide its pathogen profile and medical records. He also said the proposal required Ghana to commit counterpart funding and raised concerns about whether medical products entering Ghana under the programme would be subject to inspection by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Mahama said Cabinet rejected the proposal and subsequently instructed the Health Minister to communicate Ghana’s position to the U.S. Ambassador. He said Ghana would instead manage its health priorities while continuing to engage with international partners.
The proposed arrangement was linked to changes in U.S. international health assistance following the reduction and restructuring of USAID-related funding. Ghana had previously raised concerns about sensitive health-data provisions in the proposed bilateral arrangement.
The decision comes as Mahama promotes his broader Accra Reset agenda, including the concept of greater health sovereignty. In September, he launched the A Sovereign Future for Health report, which proposes measures aimed at strengthening domestic health systems and reducing dependence on external funding.
Ghana’s position does not mean an end to international health cooperation. The government has continued pursuing partnerships, including Ghana’s participation in an Africa CDC pooled procurement mechanism intended to improve access to vaccines and pharmaceuticals.
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