Ghana pulls out of US aid talks over demand for citizens’ personal data

Ghana has withdrawn from negotiations on a multi-year aid agreement with the United States after Washington reportedly insisted on access to the personal data of Ghanaian citizens.

 

The deal, valued at about $109 million over five years, was expected to support health programmes, including efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

 

However, according to a source familiar with the talks, discussions collapsed after Ghana resisted the US request for data access.

 

“The deal is dead,” the source said, adding that Ghana’s negotiating team included health officials, indicating the agreement was largely tied to health-sector support.

 

The source also claimed the US delegation became “hostile” and increased pressure after Ghana rejected the data-sharing condition.

 

The development comes amid a wider shift in US foreign aid policy following moves by the administration of President Donald Trump to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and scale back the role of non-governmental organisations in aid delivery.

 

Reacting to the matter, a spokesperson for the US State Department said it does not disclose details of ongoing bilateral negotiations, but noted that the proposed funding would have supported disease control programmes across Ghana.

 

“The US State Department does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations,” the statement said.