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This video is for educational purposes. President John Dramani Mahama has explained why Ghana rejected the US Health Compact, stating that it sought access to another country’s medical records and barred Ghana’s FDA from inspecting US medications, describing it as humiliating. The President said the proposal, which was intended to replace some health funding previously provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was reviewed by the Ministry of Health before being submitted to Cabinet. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, he said the Ministry of Health identified several provisions in the agreement that raised concerns over Ghana’s health data, financing obligations and regulatory authority. One of the provisions, according to Mr Mahama, required Ghana to provide the United States with its pathogen profile. “It states that we shall give the United States our pathogen profile. It also says we should give our medical records. I mean, who takes another country's medical records?” he said. Mr Mahama said the proposed compact also required Ghana to commit a specified amount of counterpart funding. He further said the agreement contained provisions under which medicines and other medical products supplied under the programme would not be subject to inspection by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). The President said these conditions contributed to Cabinet’s decision to reject the agreement. “It was humiliating,” he said, adding that the compact was rejected “in record time” after being considered by Cabinet. “I’ve never seen anything thrown out as fast as that,” he added.