WHO Health Component of Guinea Consolidated Appeal
15 February 2001
Health
Background:
Despite depressing social and economic indicators and rampant poverty, Guinea has
hosted more than 450,000 Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees over the last ten
years with little international support. The impact on the already weak health care
system was further more complicated with fighting and border attacks which resulted
in displacement of at least 150,000 people and affected 150,000 more. UNHCR has
been moving the refugees from the camp nearest to Gueckedou, dome 32,000 to more
secure areas and to new camps. The health facilities in these areas will need to be
reinforced. However there also remains an estimated 14,000 refugees in the Languette
which has been made inaccessible by the fighting. In this area 11 health facilities have
been cut off from supplies. The district hospitals, in these areas are overloaded with
patients and are having difficulties in functioning. The hospital in Gueckedou is not
functioning. The health staff has left the conflict zones. For Guinea which ranks
amongst the eight least developed countries in the world with a life expectancy of 45
years, an infant mortality rate of 124 peer 1000 live births, a maternal mortality rate of
683 per 100,000 live births the health needs are obvious. Accessibility of the
population to clean water and adequate excreta facilities is still limited with 44% of
the rural population having access to safe water and only 10% to adequate excreta
disposal. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies are common 13% in children less than
5 years with 125 moderate and 1 % severe. 23% of pregnant women are
malnourished.42% of the total population has access to local health care. The health
problems are characterised by the predominance of communicable diseases, mainly
malaria, diarrhoea (Shigella epidemic in 1999), meningitis and acute respiratory
infections. HIV/AIDS is also on the rise. A measles epidemic was declared in the
camps in February 2001. A Yellow fever outbreak has hit Guinea in 20 districts since
September and has affected so far 721 persons and has claimed the lives of with 240
persons (until Jan29) .The whole population is at risk and vaccination campaigns have
already been conducted in the highest risk areas but the control of this epidemic is
threatened by a global shortage of vaccines.
In this context, WHO will bring its support and technical expertise for the coordination of health activities and for strengthening epidemiological surveillance,
prevention, response and control of outbreaks.
Appealing Agency:
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Project Title:
Emergency and humanitarian health co-ordination
Project Code:
Sector:
Health
Theme:
Refugees, co-ordination
Objectives:
1. To provide technical assistance and support to MoH and
NGO dealing with the refugees, IDPS and affected population;
2. To improve co-ordination of all health related matters.
Targeted Beneficiaries:
Refugees, IDPs and affected population
Implementing Partner:
WHO
Project Duration
March- December 2001
Funds Requested:
US$ 279,840
Guinea hosts around 450,000 refugees . A further 150,000 Guineans have been
displaced in the southeastern prefectures and around 150,000 of the local population
in these prefectures are affected by displacement and (or fighting. In the southeastern
area known also as the Parrot's beak, where some 140,000 refugees are thought to
remain, the situation has deteriorated due to continued fighting, poor access and
limitation of freedom of movement for both refugees and UN international
organization..
WHO co-ordinates health emergency issues such as epidemics, health projects for
refugees and war-affected communities. It also supports the MoH and NGOs for
regular public health programs.. All interventions are funded polio and other
programs, when possible, thus stretching the existing resources to the limits. To
strengthen the public health activities for the refugees and to avoid a heavy burden on
the regular WHO activities, there is a need for both a national and an international
focal point to coordinate emergency health activities.
Activities under this project:





to recruit an international and a national focal point for emergency and
humanitarian health action;
to provide technical assistance to the MoH and the health partners;
to support co-ordination of health care delivery activities;
to support outreach activities for disease surveillance, prevention and control.
To liaise with the subregional coordinator for West Africa and the focal points
from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire
Through these activities WHO aims to strengthen the provision of health care to the
refugees and to the displaced population, as well as provide technical support to the
MoH to strengthen and improve health service delivery and the quality of care to the
local population living around the refugee camps in a sustainable manner.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Budget Items
Technical support :
- International Focal Point
- National Focal Point
Capacity strengthening activities
US$
100,000
40,000
80,000
Logistic support
20,000
Monitoring and evaluation
24,000
Subtotal
Programme support cost (6%)
Total
264,000
15,840
279,840
Appealing Agency:
World Health Organization
Project Title:
Preparedness and control of communicable diseases
Project Code:
Sector:
Health
Themes:
Preparedness, IDPs, Capacity building
Objectives:
1. Strengthen surveillance and management of disease with
epidemic potential among the refugees, IDPs and for the
surrounding communities;
2-Improving preparedness measures and response to
epidemics especially against yellow fever
Targeted Beneficiaries:
IDPs and Guinean population
Implementing Partners:
MoH, NGOs (national and international), UNHCR
Project Duration:
March- December 2001
Funds Requested:
US$
The main health problems in Guinea remain major communicable diseases and the
chaotic and unstable situation with the refugees, displaced makes it more difficult to
prevent , control and respond to outbreaks. This is worsened by a weakened health
care system and by the difficulty in maintaining a good surveillance system. Guinea
has seen in the past years a recrudescence of endemic diseases such as malaria, ARI,
diarrheal diseases along with outbreaks of measles and the last one , the yellow fever
epidemic. This epidemic has already affected 20 districts, more than 700 persons ,
killed 240 at least(Jan 29) and left a vulnerable population of around 1 million. With
large population movements, it is feared that cholera and meningitis would also start.
There is a need to strengthen the surveillance system , the case detection and
management of diseases with epidemic potential. WHO , with its partners the MOH,
and NGOS , will provide support for strengthening the system, improving
preparedness, response and management of outbreaks , including training district,
provincial health personnel.
Activties:
1- Strengthening the diagnostic capacities of the health units in IDP camps, refugees
and in affected districts
2- Building capacity for disease surveillance, data collection mechanisms
3- Strengthening reporting mechanisms, analysis and dissemination of information
4- Providing a stock of essential drugs for treatment of diseases with epidemic
potential, vaccines and supplies .
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Budget Item
Diagnostic equipment and supplies
Training on surveillance, case
management
Communication equipment
Drugs and vaccines to prepare/respond to
epidemic
Co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation
Subtotal
Program support costs
TOTAL
US$
100,000
50,000
50,000
800,000
100,000
1,100,000
66,000
1,166,000
Appealing Agency:
World Health Organization
Project Title:
Strengthening delivery of basic and essential health care
Project Code:
Sector:
Health
Themes:
PHC, refugees, IDPs, Reproductive health
Objectives:
1- Support health care delivery for refugees, IDPs and
affected population in health centres (posts) and hospitals
2- capacity building of doctors in trauma surgery
3- Strengthen HIV/AIDS surveillance and control and reduce
transmission
4- Improving access and availability of basic reproductive
health services to IDPs, refugees and affected population
Targeted Beneficiaries:
Refugees, IDPs and affected host communities(Macenta,
Gueckedou, Kissidougou , Faranah, Forecariah and Kindia
Implementing Partners:
MoH, NGOs (national and international), UNHCR
Project Duration:
March- December 2001
Funds Requested:
US$ 396,440
With a weakened health care system, with health facilities destruction and shortage in
trained health care staff Guinea is struggling to face emergencies, war injuries,
communicable diseases , health of refugees and displaced. In the Languette, the health
posts are thought to be still functional (9 out11) but they have very few drugs due to
insecure access and may have been looted of equipment. Gueckedou hospital is not
functioning and may have been destroyed. There is an obvious need to train doctors
and health staff on management of injuries, trauma. There is no reproductive health
program that addresses the needs of the refugees, IDPS and the affected population,
though services and human resources are available. HIV/AIDS is on the rise, along
with STD, though the absence of numbers and surveillance leads to an
underestimation. The overcrowding, displacement and breakdown of social barriers
are all compounding factors for HIV transmission.
WHO will act on strengthening the delivery of health care in affected hospitals and
health centers, supporting them with necessary equipment and supplies including
essential drugs and by working on capacity building and training of the district and
provincial health teams. Together with its partners in the field, WHO will work on
developing basic reproductive health activities, improving the access and the
availability of these services for the refugees, IDPS and affected population, and in
training the health personnel. By increasing access to condoms, ensuring safe blood
transfusion and by raising awareness among the affected communities, WHO aims at
reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS and at strengthening its surveillance.
Activities :
1- Supporting rehabilitation of destroyed health centers and hospitals and improving
the emergency surgical and obstetrical services , X rays and laboratories
2- Supporting health centers and hospitals with necessary supplies and essential drugs
3- Providing training for health personnel in trauma surgery, reproductive health ,
HIV/AIDS surveillance
4- Providing rapid testing equipment for HIV AIDS and ensure training of laboratory
staff on their use.
5- Development of HIV/AIDS educational material, and disseminating to IDPS,
refugees and host communities.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Budget Items
Diagnostic equipment, drugs and supplies
( Blood transfusion kits, surgical kits and
supplies, reproductive health..)
Training on trauma management
Training on HIV surveillance, rapid
testing
Training on reproductive health
Production and dissemination of IEC
material
Rehabilitation of health facilities
Co-ordination , Monitoring and
evaluation
Subtotal
Project support costs
TOTAL
US $
150,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
100,000
34,000
374,000
22,440
396,440