Ghana Read the Fine Print, Did We?

In April 2025, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana attended the Council on Foreign Relations during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Mahama discussed how his country had been coping since the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) closed down. He revealed that the US had sent a 'Health Compact' instead, meant to replace some of the lost funding.

Ghana's Ministry of Health reviewed the document, flagging several clauses before the Cabinet. Once the Cabinet received the document, several clauses raised concerns. Ghana was required to provide the United States with its pathogen profile, medical records of citizens, and commit a portion of its funds as counterpart funding. Moreover, medicines and medical products brought into the country under the program would not be subject to the inspection of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

The President humorously mentioned that his Cabinet rejected the document faster than any other. The episode occurred in April 2025, with Reuters reporting that Accra had walked away from a deal worth $109 million over five years. However, it seems that Nigeria signed a similar agreement with the US in December 2025, without raising any objections.