Ghana ends US aid negotiations over personal data access demands

Ghana has terminated negotiations for a multi-year aid agreement with the United States after Washington demanded access to its citizens' personal data, according to a source close to the West African nation's government. The specific coverage of the funding agreement and the nature of the personal data requested were not clearly defined. The Ghanaian negotiating team included health officials, suggesting the health sector was a focus. The US team reportedly became "hostile" and exerted "pressure" after Ghana rejected the data access request. The proposed agreement would have provided Ghana, a nation of approximately 34 million people, with $109 million over five years. The US State Department indicated these funds were intended to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. This proposed funding was significantly less than the $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion offered to Kenya and Nigeria, respectively. At least 32 similar agreements, totaling around $20.6 billion under the "America First" global health strategy, have been signed to date, involving over a dozen African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Zimbabwe rejected a similar proposal in February due to concerns about its autonomy, and a draft health agreement with Zambia, involving access to natural resources and data, has not yet been finalized. The agreement with Kenya was suspended by a court a week after its December signing over personal data sharing c