LAGOS: Ghana ended talks for a multi-year aid deal with the United States on Monday after Washington demanded access to citizens’ personal data, a source close to the west African nation’s government said.

The United States has been striking new health aid deals across Africa after the administration of President Donald Trump dismantled the long-standing USAID organisation and curtailed the role of NGOs.

“The deal is dead,” the source said, noting that Ghana’s negotiating team included health officials, suggesting it may have been partly tied to health.

The US team became “hostile” and piled on “pressure” after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source said. The deal would have provided Ghana $109 million in funding for five years.

A spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the US State Department “does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations” and suggested the funding would have supported “fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases”.

The funding offered to the west African nation was far less than the $2.5 billion and $2.1bn offered to Kenya and Nigeria, respectively.

At least 32 such deals worth about $20.6bn under the America First Global Health Strategy had been signed as of Monday, according to the US State Department.

More than a dozen African countries have signed on, including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Zimbabwe rejected a similar proposal in February, saying the terms threatened its autonomy. Zambia followed suit last month.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026