US health package was humiliating, hence Ghana’s withdrawal – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has described Ghana’s decision to withdraw from a health package offered by the United States as humiliating, explaining that the country’s healthcare needs should not compel it to accept arrangements that undermine its dignity.

The President made the remarks while responding to questions about Ghana’s decision to back out of the package, which involved about $74 million in support for the country’s health sector.

Speaking at a meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States, President Mahama said the fact that Ghana needed healthcare assistance should not be the basis for accepting every form of support.

He said the experience had reinforced the need for Ghana and other African countries to build greater independence in financing and managing their healthcare systems.

President Mahama has subsequently intensified his call for health sovereignty across Africa, urging governments on the continent to invest more significantly in their own healthcare systems rather than relying heavily on external support.

He said the withdrawal of the US funding had exposed the vulnerability of African health systems to decisions made outside the continent.

According to him, the experience also contributed to the development of the Accra Reset initiative, which seeks to promote greater African sovereignty in healthcare financing and the production of essential medicines and vaccines.

President Mahama said, as Chairman of the African Union, he intends to use his position to advance efforts to enable Ghana and other African countries to produce essential medicines and vaccines locally.

He stressed the importance of strengthening Africa’s capacity to finance its healthcare needs and reduce dependence on external assistance.

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Full text: Mahama’s address to 81st UN General Assembly