CSOs Warn on Secrecy, Privacy Risks in U.S.–Liberia Health Compact | News
CSOs Warn on Secrecy, Privacy Risks in U.S.–Liberia Health Compact | News
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 03:11:00
Source Domain: www.liberianobserver.com
A local reproductive health and rights working group has raised an alarm over the lack of transparency in a five-year, US$176 million bilateral health agreement signed between Liberia and the U.S. government in December 2025.
Members of the Informal Working Group on Reproductive Health and Rights—a coordination platform of civil society actors, advocates, and health partners working together to protect and advance reproductive health, rights, and access to services in Liberia—said there hasn’t been a clear explanation of the deal to educate the populace on the agreement. They noted that the deal excluded critical maternal health issues such as contraceptives and safe abortion services.
While countries including Ghana and Zambia have rejected the U.S. health deal proposed to fourteen African nations, Liberia has moved forward with it. According to Reuters, those nations rejected the United States’ terms for bilateral health assistance, particularly due to the mandatory requirement to share sensitive health data.
Similarly, late last year, Zimbabwe rejected the U.S. terms for health assistance, specifically opposing the demand to share national pathogen data without any corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations—such as vaccines, diagnostics, or treatments—that might result from that shared data. Consequently,
Liberian CSOs are expressing deep concerns over data sovereignty, funding commitments, and the future of maternal health, areas that the Liberian government otherwise heavily promotes.
Under the agreement, the United States will provide up to US$125 million in health assistance over the next five years to support HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal and child health. While Liberia will increase its domestic health spending by nearly 51 million dollars.
“Currently, as we speak, we have this package that we…
