Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says Ghana is under no pressure over the US health funding compact, insisting government will only move forward on terms that protect the country's sovereignty and dignity.
Ghana had earlier rejected a proposed $109 million health funding agreement with the United States, meant to replace support previously channelled through USAID, after the Ministry of Health and Cabinet flagged several conditions as unacceptable.
Speaking in an interview, Akandoh was unambiguous about where things stand. "No, I'm never under any pressure. Trust us to take the best decision in the interest of the country," he said.
Akandoh framed the rejection as part of a broader principle guiding how Ghana engages with international partners going forward.
"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." - Akandoh
He explained that the ministry received an initial memorandum of understanding from the US delegation but pushed back, insisting it needed joint review rather than outright acceptance.
After scrutinising the document, the ministry compiled its concerns into an information paper for Cabinet, acting on President Mahama's standing directive that ministers refer uncertain decisions upward.
Cabinet ultimately decided against proceeding with the agreement in its original form, tasking Akandoh and the Foreign Affairs Minister with relaying that decision to US counterparts.
What Was Actually Wrong With It
Among the sticking points, Akandoh cited a clause that would have exempted US pharmaceutical products under the agreement from verification by Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority, something he found hard to accept.
He also raised concerns over data-sharing provisions, pushing back on arguments that the data involved was merely aggregated rather than individual.
"I've heard some people saying it is not individual data. They were looking for aggregated data. Whether aggregated data or individual data is data," he said.
He even took issue with the compact's name, linking it to the broader "America First" posture of US policy. "So you also have to tell yourself Ghana first.
So we came from Ghana first to meet America First," he said, adding that Cabinet found several provisions inconsistent with Ghana's own domestic laws.
Akandoh confirmed the US has since sent back a revised MoU following Ghana's rejection of the first draft.
"As of the last time I checked, they resubmitted another MoU because we decided not to go with the first one. And we are looking at it, and we'll go to Cabinet for consideration." - Akandoh
His remarks echo President Mahama's earlier disclosure that Washington had requested further talks to amend or strip out contentious provisions from the original proposal.
Government is now reviewing the revised document, with another Cabinet decision expected before any final call is made on the partnership.
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