This ‘Tiny’ Nation Defies Trump… Says ‘NO’ to US Deal, Citing Fears of Data Privacy Violations

Accra: The West African nation of Ghana has rejected a proposed health agreement with the United States, citing concerns regarding data privacy. An official confirmed this development on Friday. According to Arnold Kwaraapuo, Executive Director of Ghana’s Data Protection Commission, the agreement contained provisions that could have granted US entities access to Ghana’s sensitive health data without adequate safeguards. He stated that the requested data access went far beyond what was typically deemed necessary.

When asked about the matter, a US State Department spokesperson stated that they do not publicly disclose the details of bilateral negotiations. The State Department spokesperson added that they would continue to seek ways to strengthen the partnership between the two nations. Under the Donald Trump administration’s “America First” policy, Washington has entered into similar health agreements with over 30 countries—particularly those in Africa. This new framework, which was introduced late last year, is intended to replace previous agreements.

Previously, such agreements were administered under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Trump administration has now discontinued that arrangement. These health agreements propose providing hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to African nations to help strengthen their public health systems and assist them in combating diseases. Earlier this year, in February, Zimbabwe also rejected a similar proposed agreement due to identical concerns, while Zambia raised objections regarding certain provisions within its own agreement.

Many African activists argue that these agreements lack sufficient safeguards regarding data usage and, in many instances, tend to benefit only a select few. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has also expressed serious concerns regarding data sharing. Under the proposed agreement—valued at approximately $300 million—Ghana was slated to receive roughly $109 million in US funding over a five-year period. However, Kwarpuo revealed that this agreement contained a clause under which individuals’ identities could be exposed through sensitive health data.

He stated, “This would have amounted to handing over the country’s health data infrastructure to a foreign entity.” The proposed agreement encompassed access not only to health data but also to metadata, dashboards, reporting tools, data models, and data dictionaries. Furthermore, under this proposal, up to ten U.S. entities could have gained access to this data without any prior authorization. Kwarpuo noted that, under this arrangement, Ghana would have exercised no real control over the usage of the data and would have merely been informed retrospectively. He confirmed that Ghana has conveyed its decision to the U.S. to reject this proposal and has called for a new agreement with more favorable terms.