Guinea
Guinea has a population of about seven million and is about the size of Italy. French is the official language, although many people speak a variety of local ethnic languages. Plan Guinea works mostly in one geographically and culturally distinct region – the forest area, in the south of the country.
Despite its wealth in mineral resources, Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in Africa. The economy and ethnic relations are facing further strain due to influxes of refugees from neighbouring Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire.
Most Guineans earn a living from subsistence farming; the country is known for rice farming and also has the potential to develop in various agricultural and fishing sectors. Education and health are areas of particular concern and a major focus of Plan Guinea’s work.
Diarrhoea, malaria and acute respiratory infections persist as major causes of child mortality and HIV/AIDS infections are on the increase and a shortage in medicines throughout the region has also exacerbated these problems.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Guinea
- One in every six children dies before reaching the age of five
- A quarter of all Guinean children under five suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition
- Over 40% of children do not attend primary school
- Over half of the population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
- Over 60% of the rural population do not have access to clean, safe drinking water
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