Priority areas in Guinea

Promoting basic social services

Living conditions for a large proportion of the Guinean population have not materially improved for many years. This is largely due to policies that are not sufficiently poverty-oriented, resulting, among other things, in insufficient and poor-quality public social services, particularly in the education and health sectors.

With the support of donors and GTZ advisory services, Guinea updated its poverty reduction strategy in 2007. It consists of three pillars, which together are intended to contribute to improving the population’s living conditions: good governance, economic growth and access to social services. Implementing the strategy has proven difficult, however, as the relevant authorities lacked the specialist and organisational skills. Civil society, too, was not strong enough to take an active part in the process. While school enrolment figures have clearly risen in recent years – even among girls, who are particularly disadvantaged – there are not enough qualified teachers. Guinea’s health sector suffers from suboptimal management structures, problematic hygiene conditions in health centres, a shortage of qualified staff and a lack of affordable medication.

GTZ is involved in training the governmental and non-governmental actors involved in implementing the poverty reduction strategy. Its support focuses on the education and health sectors. In close coordination and cooperation with KfW, as well as with international partners, including the World Bank and the US implementing organisation USAID, GTZ is thereby contributing to improving the quality of social services.

The Guinean ‘Education for all’ programme is a national sector programme. Supported by its bilateral and multilateral partners, the Guinean Government is striving to permanently improve the development of its education system. GTZ supports its Guinean partners in sectoral coordination. Employing a decentralised approach, it contributes to improving the efficiency of the public facilities in the regions and prefectures.

The introduction of innovative management instruments is intended to continue strengthening the health and education sectors. This involves quality competition between health centres, catch-up classes for girls, action-based advisory services for management and dedicated in-service training for teachers, to name only a few examples. In addition, new approaches have been developed to raise awareness and improve treatment of HIV/AIDS. These positive experiences are integrated into various national sector policies.

Following the death of the President, a military junta seized power in Guinea in December 2008. GTZ’s activities since then have concentrated on the technical level and particularly on cooperation with decentralised structures and civil society. Policy advisory services have been suspended for the time being.