The government is considering a revised health financing proposal from the United States after declining to accept an earlier version over concerns about its implications for Ghana’s sovereignty, regulatory authority and national interests.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says the government will not rush into an agreement simply because Ghana needs international support for its health sector.
He insists that any partnership must respect the country’s laws and provide a framework based on mutual respect rather than dependency.
The initial proposal was subjected to scrutiny by the Ministry of Health before being presented to Cabinet, where concerns about some of its provisions were considered.
The proposed arrangement was expected to replace health funding previously provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
One major concern involved a provision that would reportedly exempt US pharmaceutical products covered by the agreement from verification or certification by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
The minister questioned the implications of such an arrangement for the country’s ability to regulate medicines entering its health system.
The government also raised questions about requirements for sharing health information with the US. Mr Akandoh maintained that the distinction between individual records and aggregated data did not remove the need for careful scrutiny, given the importance of protecting information and ensuring that data-sharing arrangements serve Ghana’s interests.
The minister further expressed reservations about the framing of the proposed compact, drawing attention to the US administration’s “America First” policy.
He argued that Ghana must similarly place its own priorities at the centre of negotiations and ensure that external partnerships do not undermine its national objectives.
In an interview with Channel One TV on Monday, October 19, Mr Akandoh said the government had documented its concerns and taken them to Cabinet in accordance with President John Dramani Mahama’s directive that matters requiring further consideration be referred to the collective decision-making body.
He said the Ministry of Health and the Foreign Affairs Ministry were subsequently tasked with communicating Ghana’s position to their American counterparts.
The US has since submitted another memorandum of understanding (MoU), which is being examined before it is sent to Cabinet for a decision.
Mr Akandoh stressed that Ghana’s need for development partners would not compel the government to accept conditions it considered unsuitable.
“No, I’m never under any pressure. Trust us to take the best decision in the interest of the country,” he said.
Emphasising the government’s preferred approach to international cooperation, he added: “We need partnership, but we need partnership with respect and dignity. So these fragmentations and tendencies and promises of partnership — no, we will have to move from dependency to dignity, from fragmentation to solidarity.”
The latest development follows President Mahama’s disclosure that Washington had requested further engagement with Accra to revise or remove contentious provisions of the proposed agreement.
The government says the revised document remains under consideration, with no final decision on whether to proceed with the arrangement until Cabinet has reviewed it.