The United States Embassy in Ghana has assured that its health assistance to the country has not been abruptly cut off. According to the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Ghana, Rolf Olson, funding for 2025, 2026, and 2027 was mapped out years in advance. This clarification was made at a media roundtable in Accra, addressing concerns over the gradual suspension of US health programmes.
Mr Olson explained that the US health funding for Ghana in 2025 was $82 million, which had always been the plan. The allocation for 2026 was $53 million, also part of the initial plan. He emphasized that these decisions were made over time, independent of discussions around the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Chargé d’Affaires noted that the pace of news about USAID’s changes in early 2025 created a false impression that all assistance had immediately ceased.
The US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires further clarified that USAID did not officially close until July or September 2025. Therefore, assistance did not stop abruptly, as it was planned and mapped out for years. Mr Olson mentioned that the MoU under discussion with the Ghanaian government aimed to gradually decrease assistance over a period of years, not to impose a sudden cut-off.
According to Mr Olson, the US government’s approach, as seen in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is to help countries be responsible for their own assistance over time. The MoU was designed to capture this essence, maintaining funding at the originally planned level in the first year and then gradually decreasing over subsequent years.
The Chargé d’Affaires commended the Ghanaian government for its tremendous work in the health sector. He noted that the MoU was not identical across countries, reflecting specific circumstances and prior programming. These agreements were negotiated robustly and in good faith over several months.
Mr Olson stressed that the door remains open for further discussions with the Ghanaian government to discuss topics of mutual interest. The US had invested significant taxpayer dollars in Ghana's health sector, amounting to $2.2 billion since 2012. The funding amounts, he explained, were not arbitrary but based on existing health assistance programmes.
The US Embassy’s clarification aims to alleviate concerns about the abrupt cessation of health aid to Ghana. With a well-planned transition, the US Embassy seeks to maintain a collaborative relationship with Ghana, supporting the country’s health sector development.
Key points
- The US Embassy in Ghana has assured that its health assistance to the country has not been abruptly cut off.
- Funding for 2025, 2026, and 2027 was mapped out years in advance, with $82 million allocated for 2025 and $53 million for 2026.
- The US had invested $2.2 billion in Ghana's health sector since 2012.
