Ghana has become the latest African country to reject a proposed health deal with the United States, citing concerns over data privacy and sovereignty. The decision was confirmed by Arnold Kavaarpuo, executive director of Ghana's Data Protection Commission, who told The Associated Press that the scope of data access requested by the US "went far beyond what would typically be required for the purpose for which it's stated."
Details of the Proposed Agreement
The proposed deal, valued at around $300 million, would have provided Ghana with approximately $109 million in US funding over five years, with additional investments from the Ghanaian government. However, Kavaarpuo raised alarms about provisions that would have allowed US entities access to sensitive health data, including metadata, dashboards, reporting tools, data models, and data dictionaries. He noted that the agreement would have permitted up to 10 US entities to access such data without prior approval from Ghana, effectively outsourcing the country's health data architecture to a foreign body.
Context of US Health Deals in Africa
The US has signed similar health agreements with nearly two dozen African nations under the Trump administration's "America First" approach to global health funding, which began late last year. These deals replace previous agreements under the now-dismantled United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and offer hundreds of millions of dollars to support public health systems and combat disease outbreaks. However, they have raised significant data privacy concerns across the continent.
In February, Zimbabwe rejected a similar deal over issues around health data, fairness, and sovereignty. Zambia is also reported to have pushed back on certain sections of the agreement, though no final decision has been made. Activists in Africa argue that the deals often lack adequate safeguards for data use and can be limiting, as seen in Nigeria, where US funding was primarily directed to Christian faith-based healthcare providers.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director General, Jean Kaseya, has also expressed "huge concerns" regarding data and pathogen sharing in these agreements.
Ghana's Stance and Next Steps
Kavaarpuo emphasized that Ghana communicated its decision to reject the proposal to the US and is seeking improved conditions for a better deal. He stressed that the proposed data sharing arrangement did not provide Ghana with real governance oversight over how the data would be utilized, as it only required notification rather than prior approval. The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This development highlights growing tensions between African nations and the US over data sovereignty and the terms of health funding, as countries increasingly push back against provisions they view as compromising their citizens' privacy and national interests.
