Guinea

Guinea is located in western Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. It is sometimes referred to as Guinea-Conakry to differentiate it from the neighboring country of Guinea-Bissau. A former French colony, Guinea won its independence in 1958. Although it managed to avoid being drawn into the civil strife that rocked Sierra Leone and Liberia on its southern borders, political and economic discontent was leading toward demonstrations and general strikes in 2006 and early 2007, and some international observers believe Guinea could soon fall into chaos.

Guinea's population now stands at 9,948,000 and is growing at a rate of 2.62 percent annually. (These population figures do not include several large refugee groups living in camps along the borders.) The birth rate is 41.53 per 1,000 and the death rate is 15.33 per 1,000. Median age is 17.7 years. Life expectancy is 48.5 years for males and 50.84 years for females. Despite ample natural resources, Guinea's economy is still characterized as “underdeveloped.” Gross national income is a mere $370 per capita.

Malaria is the primary cause of morbidity in Guinea. Lassa fever, a viral hemmorhagic disease transmitted through animal waste, is endemic in Guinea; 80 percent of those infected are asymptomatic, but the fatality rate is high for those who become symptomatic. Acute respiratory infections are common, especially in the overcrowded refugee camps. Guinea also suffers from a high burden of yellow fever in some region, along with schistosomiasis, meningococcal meningitis, measles, and cholera. Sanitation is minimal within the country, with about half the population [Page 760]able to find clean water, and only 18 percent using adequate waste facilities.

Estimates on the HIV/AIDS epidemic vary, but the Joint Programme of the United Nations on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) puts the adult prevalence rate at 1.5 percent. This translates to around 85,000 cases, of which 53,000 are women and 7,000 are children under age 15. At present, only 0.4 percent of pregnant women are receiving drugs to help prevent mother-to-child tranmission of the virus, despite the fact that in some areas, 6.5 percent of pregnant women are infected. Health officials have but Guinea on the fast track for improvements in their treatment and educational programs.

Child mortality rates have dropped from 1990 levels, but remains high at 98 deaths per 1,000 for infants younger than 1, and 150 deaths per 1,000 for children aged 1–5. AIDS and other diseases have left an orphan population estimated at 370,000. Per capita government expenditures on health were around U.S. $13 in 2001. Medical facilities are spread around the country, often forcing the sick or injured to walk for many miles before finding healthcare. There are few ambulances to transport the seriously ill to district or general hospitals. Facilities around the country are in poor physical condition, and often lack safe water. The large refugee population has strained resources to the breaking point in some regions. Understaffing is also a problem, with 0.9 physicians and 4.7 nurses and midwives per 10,000 population.