By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama says Cabinet swiftly rejected a proposed United States health compact after concerns were raised over demands for Ghana’s pathogen profile and citizens’ medical records.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026, President Mahama said the proposed agreement was presented to Cabinet after the Health Ministry reviewed it.
He explained that the compact was intended to replace health funding Ghana lost following the end of USAID support.
According to President Mahama, the Health Ministry prepared a Cabinet Information Paper after reviewing the agreement, which led to concerns over several provisions.
One of the major concerns, he said, was a requirement for Ghana to provide its pathogen profile, which he explained relates to diseases endemic to the country.
The President said Cabinet was also surprised by a provision requiring Ghana to provide medical records.
“I mean, who takes another country’s medical records? And so that was strange,” he said.
President Mahama added that Ghana was also expected to contribute a specified amount of money to the programme, while the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) would not be allowed to inspect medicines and other medical products brought into the country under the agreement.
He described the conditions as humiliating and said Cabinet rejected the compact almost immediately.
“It was the compact that was thrown out in record time in our cabinet. I’ve never seen anything thrown out as fast as that. And so, of course, we rejected it,” he said.
President Mahama said the Health Minister was subsequently instructed to inform the US Ambassador that Ghana would not accept the proposed compact.
