Guinea-Bissau

Guinea Bissau held its first democratic elections in 1994, 20 years after gaining independence from Portugal. Portuguese is still the official language, although most people speak Krio.

The country is made up of 30 islands and the mainland, which consists of rainforest, mangrove swamp coastal region, and an inland wooded Savannah. More than 80% of the population make their living from small-scale farming, fishing and forestry. The economy depends heavily on the performance of the agricultural sector, which tends to fluctuate. This instability has severely affected basic health and education services.

With a population of 1.5 million, Guinea Bissau is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It is also one of the poorest in the world with half the population living below the national poverty line. Less than one in five children under one year old are immunised against polio, measles and DPT which contributes towards the high infant mortality rate: one in every eight babies die before reaching their first birthday.

Education is also a concern and literacy rates are low with over half 15-24 year olds unable to read or write. Life expectancy has remained low at just 45 years.

Some of the reasons why Plan works in Guinea Bissau

• One in every five children dies before reaching the age of five
• 30% of children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
• 60% of children do not attend primary school
• Only half the rural population have access to adequate drinking water