religion and development in guinea

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aith actors play pivotal but oſt-overlooked roles in Guinea’s social, economic, and po- litical development. Christian and Muslim leaders and their congregations continue to work alongside government ministries to improve access to health services and shape attitudes around sensitive issues like gender equality and family planning. This brief provides a concise overview of faith- linked development efforts focused on Guinea’s educa- tion challenges, gender issues, and the health sector. In the six decades since independence, Guinea has faced significant political and economic challenges, con- tributing to some of the lowest development indicators in sub-Saharan Africa. Sekou Touré’s administration (1958–1984) stood out among postcolonial governments in the region for its rejection of economic support from Western Europe; Touré’s policies and the international response leſt positive legacies but also stifled progress and delayed productive development of the country’s rich natural resources, notably its bauxite reserves. Touré’s government became increasingly authoritarian during his tenure, setting a precedent for subsequent presidents Lansana Conté (1984–2008) and Moussa Dadis Camara (2008–2009), both of whom came to power in military coup d’états. Religion and Development in After a quarter century of military rule, Guinea adopted a new constitution in 2010; later that year, Guineans voted in the country’s first democratic elec- tions since independence, electing Alpha Condé to the presidency. In the years since, Condé’s administration has been accused of committing electoral fraud and using violence to suppress its political opposition. 1 Condé announced a constitutional reform process in December 2019, which critics fear will enable him to extend his presidency beyond the two-term limit. 2 Violent clashes between Condé supporters and op- ponents have continued in advance of the February 2020 election. 3 Despite reform efforts under the Condé administra- tion, corruption remains a pervasive problem in Guinea, particularly in the mining sector. In 2018, the country earned a score of 28 out of 100 on Transparency Inter- national’s Corruption Perceptions Index (with 100 being “highly corrupt”). 4 Guinea is composed of four geographic regions: Mar- itime Guinea, Mid-Guinea, Upper Guinea, and Forested Guinea. These are further divided into eight adminis- trative regions. Just over a third of the population lives in urban areas; 1.8 million people reside in the capital city of Conakry. 5 FEBRUARY 2020 FDD W GUINEA F

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Page 1: Religion and Development in GUINEA

aith actors play pivotal but oft-overlooked roles in Guinea’s social, economic, and po-litical development. Christian and Muslim leaders and their congregations continue to work alongside government ministries

to improve access to health services and shape attitudes around sensitive issues like gender equality and family planning. This brief provides a concise overview of faith-linked development efforts focused on Guinea’s educa-tion challenges, gender issues, and the health sector.

In the six decades since independence, Guinea has faced significant political and economic challenges, con-tributing to some of the lowest development indicators in sub-Saharan Africa. Sekou Touré’s administration (1958–1984) stood out among postcolonial governments in the region for its rejection of economic support from Western Europe; Touré’s policies and the international response left positive legacies but also stifled progress and delayed productive development of the country’s rich natural resources, notably its bauxite reserves. Touré’s government became increasingly authoritarian during his tenure, setting a precedent for subsequent presidents Lansana Conté (1984–2008) and Moussa Dadis Camara (2008–2009), both of whom came to power in military coup d’états.

Religion and Development in

After a quarter century of military rule, Guinea adopted a new constitution in 2010; later that year, Guineans voted in the country’s first democratic elec-tions since independence, electing Alpha Condé to the presidency. In the years since, Condé’s administration has been accused of committing electoral fraud and using violence to suppress its political opposition.1 Condé announced a constitutional reform process in December 2019, which critics fear will enable him to extend his presidency beyond the two-term limit.2 Violent clashes between Condé supporters and op-ponents have continued in advance of the February 2020 election.3

Despite reform efforts under the Condé administra-tion, corruption remains a pervasive problem in Guinea, particularly in the mining sector. In 2018, the country earned a score of 28 out of 100 on Transparency Inter-national’s Corruption Perceptions Index (with 100 being “highly corrupt”).4

Guinea is composed of four geographic regions: Mar-itime Guinea, Mid-Guinea, Upper Guinea, and Forested Guinea. These are further divided into eight adminis-trative regions. Just over a third of the population lives in urban areas; 1.8 million people reside in the capital city of Conakry.5

FEBRUARY 2020

FDDW

GUINEA

F

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RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

Guinea’s Religious Landscape ccording to Guinea’s 2014 census, 89 percent of Guineans identify as Muslim. Christians, most of them Roman Catholics, comprise another 7

percent of the population.6 Many Christians and Muslims incorporate elements of animism/African Traditional Religion (ATR) into their religious practices, while some communities, primarily in Forested Guinea, practice an-imism exclusively.7 In addition, small groups of Hindus, Buddhists, and Baha’i live in the major cities.8

Islam in GuineaThe first Muslims to arrive in present-day Guinea were trans-Saharan traders in the eleventh century. Trade, marriage, military conquest, and the conversion of high-profile leaders such as Mansa Musa of the Mali Em-pire contributed to the spread of Islam in subsequent

centuries. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, theocratic states arose in parts of present-day Guinea, most notably the Imamate of Fouta Djallon.9 These states were centers of armed rebellion against French colonial forces in the late nineteenth century (local re-sistance would not be fully crushed until 1911).10 Islam remained the predominant religion under French rule (1882–1958).11

Today, most Guinean Muslims are Sunnis who fol-low the Maliki legal tradition. (There is also a growing Wahhabi community whose adherents include returned pilgrims from Mecca and graduates of Middle Eastern theological institutions.12) Many Sunnis belong to a Sufi order, or confrérie, of which the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya are the most popular.13 In addition, Guinea is home to small Shi’a and Ahmadiyya Muslim communities.

Labé

Kindia

Kankan

Nzérékoré

Faranah

Boké

Mamou

Conakry

Freetown

BamakoM A L I

S I E R R A L E O N E

L I B E R I A CÔTED'IVOIRE

G U I N E A -B I S S A U

S E N E G A L

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 km

0 50 7525 100 mi

GUINEA

National capitalRegional capitalInternational boundaryRegional boundary

L A B É

M A M O U

F A R A N A H

K A N K A N

N Z É R É K O R É

K I N D I AB O K É

 FIGURE 1: Map of Guinea with Administrative Regions and Major CitiesSource: https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm

A

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The Islamic Council of Guinea (Conseil Islamique de Guinée), founded in the early 2000s, works with the Secretariat General of Re-ligious Affairs (Secrétariat Général des Affaires Religieuses, SGAR) to oversee Islamic affairs in the coun-try. Its 15-member board includes high-ranking imams from across the country, as well as represen-tatives from Islamic women’s and youth groups.

Christianity in Guinea The first Christian missionaries arrived in Guinea in the early nineteenth century, establishing missions in subsequent decades. Following the Second World War, the colonial government allowed non-French missionaries in its West Africa Colony, which prompted the arrival of numerous evangelical de-nominations. In 1967, the Touré gov-ernment banned all foreign Chris-tian missionaries; although the ban was lifted in 1984, its impact is still seen in present-day Guinea, where the largest denominations are typ-ically those that had a well-estab-lished structure and strong local leadership prior to the ban.14

With approximately 260,000 members, the Roman Catholic Church is Guinea’s largest Chris-tian denomination.15 Catholic de-velopment initiatives in Guinea are spearheaded by the Organisa-tion Catholique pour la Promotion Humaine (OCPH)/Caritas Guinea, established in 1986. OCPH/Caritas Guinea promotes food security, health, education, water and sanitation, community development, and peacebuilding; its international partners include Car-itas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, and the United Nations.16

Guinea’s two largest Protestant denominations are the New Apostolic Church (L’Église Néo-apostolique en Guinée) and the Evangelical Protestant Church (L’Église Protestante Evangélique de Guinée). Both denomina-tions run health and social engagement initiatives with the support of their global church organizations (the

New Apostolic Church International and Christian and Missionary Alliance, respectively).17 Other Christian denominations in Guinea include the Anglican Church, Baptist Church, Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-ter-day Saints, and numerous Pentecostal churches.18

Founded in 2001, the Christian Council of Guinea (Conseil Chrétien de Guinée,) coordinates ecumenical efforts among the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Evan-gelical Protestant Churches and acts as a liaison between church leaders and the national government.19

 TABLE 1: Guinea’s Development Indicators

Indicator Current Status (Year)

Population 12.4 million (2018)a

Total area 245,857 sq. kmb

Urban population (percent of total) 36.1% (2018)c

Population growth rate 2.8% (2018)d

Capital city population (Conakry) 1.8 million (2018)e

Population aged 0–15 years 5.4 million (2018)f

GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) 830 (2018)g

GDP growth rate, three-year average 9.1% (2016–2018)h

UNDP Human Development Index Rank 175 of 189 (2017)i

Corruption Perceptions Index Rank 138 of 180 (2018)j

Personal remittances, received (current US$) 28.4 million (2018)k

Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) 3.2 of 6 (2018)l

a. “Population, total- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=GN

b. O’Toole, Thomas, “Guinea,” Encyclopedia Britannica,” https://www.britannica.com/place/Guinea

c. “Urban population (% of population)- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=GN

d. “Population growth (annual %)-Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=GN

e. “Population in largest city-Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.URB.LCTY?locations=GN

f. “Population ages 0–14, total-Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO?locations=GN

g. “GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD?locations=GN

h. “ GDP growth (annual %)- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=GN

i. “Human Development Index, 2017,” UNDP, http://hdr.undp.org/en/composite/HDIj. “Guinea,” Transparency International, https://www.transparency.org/country/GINk. “Personal remittances, received (current US$)- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.

org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT?locations=GNl. “CPIA Ratings- Guinea,” World Bank, http://datatopics.worldbank.org/cpia/country/guinea

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RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

Religion, Government, and SocietyThe relationship between government ministries and re-ligious groups has varied considerably in Guinea’s recent history. Following independence, some Muslim clerics decried the socialist policies of Touré’s Democratic Party of Guinea (Parti Démocratique de Guinée, PDG) as anti-Is-lamic; however, other religious leaders defended the PDG.20 As Touré’s popularity declined in the 1970s, he sought the political backing of Muslim leaders in the hopes that this would legitimize his authority and strengthen diplomatic ties with other Muslim-majority nations in Africa and the Middle East.21 Under Touré, Guinea joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 1969.

Guinea’s 2010 constitution echoes its three predeces-sors (1958, 1982, and 1990) in establishing a secular state, guaranteeing freedom of religion, and banning discrim-ination based on religious belief. The constitution also forbids political parties from aligning with particular religious groups.22 The SGAR oversees state-religious relations and promotes interreligious cooperation. Religious groups are encouraged, but not required, to formally register with the SGAR; once registered, they must report on their activities every six months. Unreg-istered groups do not qualify for tax exemptions, and the SGAR reserves the right to shut them down.23

The Guinean government regulates the affairs of reli-gious institutions in numerous ways, earning it a “mod-erate” score on Pew-Templeton’s measure of Govern-ment Restrictions on Religion (2016).24 Major mosques

fall under government jurisdiction, with their imams and administrative staff registered as government em-ployees. Muslim and Christian clerics are required to incorporate weekly themes into their sermons; these themes, issued by the SGAR, are intended to counter religious extremism and seditious speech. However, enforcement is logistically challenging.25

While the threat of Islamism is not as pronounced as in other parts of West Africa, Guinea is taking steps to counter radicalization of local Muslims by foreign cler-ics. In August 2019, the government announced it would work with Muslim leaders to develop new regulations for religious speech in mosques and madrasas.26

Guinea has a strong reputation for interfaith cooper-ation. The Interreligious Council of Guinea, established in 2001, facilitates dialogue and partnership among Muslim and Christian leadership. Nevertheless, religious differences contribute to social friction, both within and among religious communities, and exacerbate existing rivalries between ethnic groups. In July 2013, tensions between the predominantly Christian Guerze and Muslim Konianké ethnic groups boiled over when several Guerze were accused of murdering a Konianké youth. The inci-dent triggered deadly violence and looting throughout Forested Guinea, including the burning of churches and mosques; there were more than 50 casualties within three days.27 In October 2017, President Alpha Condé called on Muslim and Christian leaders to redouble their efforts in promoting national unity and social cohesion.28

 BOX 1: Ethnic Tensions in Guinea

a. Camara, Mohamed Saliou, Thomas O’Toole, and Janice E. Baker. Historical Dictionary of Guinea. Scarecrow Press, 2014, pp 139.

b. Minority Rights Group International, “Guinea,” World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, https://minorityrights.org/country/guinea/.

c. “Guinea.” World Christian Database. https://worldchristiandatabase-org.proxy.bc.edu/wcd/#/detail/country/87/-44-peoples.

d. Camara et al. “Historical Dictionary of Guinea.” (2014). 139.

e. “Guinea: September 28 Massacre Was Premeditated.” Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/10/27/guinea-september-28-massacre-was-premeditated.

Guinea is home to some two dozen eth-

nic groups.a The largest of these are the

Peul/Fulani (34 percent), Mandinka/

Malinke (31 percent), and Susu (19

percent). The Peul have historically

been concentrated in the Fouta Djal-

lon region, the Mandinka in the western

regions of Faranah and Kankan, and

the Susu along the coast, including

Conakry.b The country’s major ethnic

groups are predominantly Muslim, with

the exception of the Guerze in Forested

Guinea (6 percent of the total popula-

tion), which is roughly split between

Christians and animists.c

Ethnicity has played a significant

role in shaping Guinean politics,

particularly since the advent of multi-

party democracy in the early 1990s.

Today, membership in most political

organizations falls along ethnic lines.d

As such, political and ethnic tensions

are closely entwined, and violence

frequently erupts around elections. In

recent years, the Peul have frequently

been the targets of political violence;

anti-Peul sentiment fueled several

large-scale incidents of police brutality

against peaceful protestors during the

military rule of Moussa Dadis Camara

(2008–2009), himself a member of the

Guerze ethnic group.e In late 2019, the

Peul made up the majority of protesters

against President Condé’s attempts to

change the constitution. (Condé is a

member of the Mandinka group.)

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Education uinea’s public education system has made substantial strides in the past several decades, marked by a steady increase in school enroll-

ment since the 1990s.29 Today, education is free and com-pulsory for children aged 7 to 13, the majority of whom attend secular public schools. While official statistics suggests that the majority of Guinea’s schools are public (with the exception of pre-primary schools, around 80 of which are private), the data does not necessarily reflect the large number of institutions that offer supplemen-tary religious education. These include Guinea’s network of Islamic madrasas, many of which are affiliated with a particular mosque.30

Despite rising enrollment rates, Guinea’s education system faces considerable challenges. In 2014, less than a third of the adult population (over age 15) and only 46 per-cent of youth (ages 15–24) were literate.31 For most children, education starts and ends with primary school; only 15 percent of children attended preprimary school in 2011, and only 32 percent attended lower secondary school in 2014. Even fewer students continue their studies beyond the secondary level: in 2014, a mere 12 percent of university-age students (within 5 years of secondary school graduation age) attended a tertiary institution.32

Children in rural areas are less likely to remain in school than their urban counter-parts.33 Access is a major obstacle to rural children who wish to continue their edu-cation: while 71 percent of primary schools are located in rural areas, only 35 percent of lower secondary schools are. Furthermore, rural facilities face significant space and equipment shortages, which contribute to higher dropout rates.34

Gender bias poses an additional barrier for millions of Guinean girls to access quality education. Girls are more likely to be pulled from school than their brothers, often to help around the house or to supplement the fami-ly’s income. As a result, they are consistently underrepresented in the classroom. Six-ty-nine percent of primary-aged girls attend primary school, compared to 83 percent of boys; this disparity continues at secondary schools (27 percent enrollment among girls versus 39 percent among boys) and tertiary institutions (7 percent enrollment among women versus 16 percent among men).35

Young people of all educational backgrounds struggle to find formal employment once they leave school. One reason for this is that Technical and Vocational Training and Education (Enseignement et formation techniques et professionnels, EFTP) programs in Guinea are as yet unable to accommodate large numbers of students. Fur-thermore, while the majority of EFTP students were en-rolled in primary and secondary programs, most EFTP funding went toward tertiary level programs.36 Financial constraints pose an obstacle in improving education more broadly; in 2017, the Guinean government devoted 13.4 percent of its annual expenditure to education, which fell below the 20 percent goal set by the Global Partnership for Education.37

Faith actors run a number of religiously-linked private schools across Guinea. Franco-Arabic Schools (Écoles

G

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Tertiary

Secondary

Primary

Preprimary

201420112008200520021999199619931990198719841981197819751972

TertiarySecondary

PrimaryPreprimary

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Total

Male

Female

Tertiary (Gross, 2014)Secondary (Net, 2014)Primary (Net, 2016)

Total

MaleFemale

 FIGURE 2: Gross School Enrollment Rates, 1972–2014Source: https://data.worldbank.org

 FIGURE 3: School Enrollment Rates by GenderSource: https://data.worldbank.org

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RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

Franco-Arabes) teach Qur’anic education alongside the compulsory national curriculum. While some of these schools are privately funded, others receive a degree of financial support from the local government. Private Christian schools operate in most large cities; like their

Gender Equalityender-based discrimination is pervasive in Guinea, where women face obstacles in accessing education, obtaining health care, and exercising

their legal rights. Gender disparities across numerous development measures reflect this reality: Guinea ranked 116th out of 149 countries on the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap Index, which measures women’s access to education, health services, economic opportunities, and political representation. (Guinea scored particularly low on educational attainment and women’s health and survival—147th and 138th, respec-tively).39 The literacy rate among adult women is a mere 22 percent, half that of adult men. Economic and family pressures contribute to a high rate of child marriage: in

2016, more than half of women ages 20 to 24 had mar-ried by age 18.40 Discriminatory laws and practices also make it difficult for women to own and inherit proper-ty.41 While Guinean women’s presence in the workforce is proportional to that of men, not all women control their earnings: in a 2012 survey, 14 percent of women said their spouse has sole decision-making power over their earnings, while 12 percent said they make joint decisions with their spouse. Moreover, only a third of women reported making their own decisions related to personal health.42

Gender-based violence (GBV) is another widespread problem. While the government does not collect offi-cial statistics on GBV, data from independent sources

G

 BOX 2: Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in Guinea

a. Guinea National Institute of Statistics. “Enquête Démographique et de Santé 2018.” 2019.

b. “Rapport sur les droits humains et la pratique des mutilations génitales féminines/excision en Guinée.” UN Office of the High Commissioner

for Human Rights, 2016. 18–23.

c. “Rapport sur les droits humains et la pratique des mutilations génitales féminines/excision en Guinée.” UN Office of the High Commissioner

for Human Rights, 2016. 16, 20; “Religious Leaders of Guinea-Conakry Issue a Declaration Against FGC.” Tostan, April 2, 2013. Available at:

https://www.tostan.org/religious-leaders-guinea-conakry-issue-declaration-against-fgc/d. UNICEF Guinea. “Les leaders religieux disent non à l’excision en Guinée.” Medium.com, July 27, 2016. Available at: https://medium.com/

@Unicefguinee/les-leaders-religieux-disent-non-%C3%A0-lexcision-en-guin%C3%A9e-be5551cfb8e7

Guinea has one of the highest rates of

FGC in the world. In 2018, 95 percent

of women ages 15 to 49 had undergone

FGC, the vast majority of them before

the age of 15.a A growing number of pro-

cedures take place in formal medical

settings (close to a third in 2012). Al-

though the practice has been outlawed

since 1965, FGC remains widespread,

in part because of a weak judicial in-

frastructure and a lack of incentive for

police officers, prosecutors, and judges

to enforce the law.

As a cultural tradition that predates

Islam and Christianity, FGC is practiced

across ethnic, religious, geographic,

and socioeconomic groups. A majority

of Guineans accept the practice: in

2012, 76 percent of Guinean women

said they believed FGC should continue.

Religious arguments are sometimes

invoked to promote FGC, such as the

claim by some imams that it was prac-

ticed in the times of the Prophet Mu-

hammad. Despite public denunciation

of FGC by both Muslim and Christian

authorities, two thirds of Guinean

women and 57 percent of men believe

that FGC is a religious requirement.b

Faith actors, working alongside gov-

ernment authorities and NGOs, have

sensitized communities to the harmful

effects of FGC. As widely trusted au-

thority figures, Muslim and Christian

leaders encourage congregants to

forgo FGC while affirming the value of

other traditional initiatory rites. Numer-

ous clerics have publicly condemned

FGC, including the Catholic Archbishop

of Conakry. In 2014, the SGAR part-

nered with Muslim leaders to clarify

Islamic arguments against FGC and

disseminate relevant talking points to

imams across the country.c Two years

later, the SGAR, with support from the

UN and US Embassy, launched a Na-

tional Campaign for Religious Leaders

on the Prevention of FGC in Guinea. At

its initial gathering, participants reaf-

firmed their commitment to combat-

ting FGC in their communities.d

Islamic counterparts, these schools supplement the na-tional curriculum with religious education.38 In addition, there are a number of madrasas that Muslim students attend in addition to regular school; however, data on the number of these schools is not readily available.

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suggests that violence against women is common. Be-tween January 2012 and December 2015, civil society organizations in Guinea reported over 3,000 cases of GBV, of which at least 1,000 involved rape.43 In 2016, the Office for the Protection of Gender, Children and Morals recorded over 600 complaints, including more than 100 rape cases.44 These figures likely reflect only a small frac-tion of incidents, as many women do not report abuse for fear of stigmatization and retaliation. This is particularly true given prevailing attitudes that justify GBV; in 2012, for example, 92 percent of women and two thirds of men believed that a husband can beat his wife under certain circumstances.45 Most formal complaints do not make it to court because of prior mediation between victims and perpetrators overseen by family members and com-munity leaders.46

Numerous religious leaders and FIOs are involved in promoting women’s empowerment in Guinea. The Union of Women Ulama, a Muslim women’s organization led by Hadja Mariama Sow, runs programs on issues related to women’s education, health, and GBV.47 The Secretariat General of Religious Affairs has also partnered with faith actors to foster a national dialogue around gender issues. In April 2018, Muslim and Christian leaders took part in the SGAR’s launch of the National Platform of Religious for the Promotion of Reproductive Health in Guinea, which featured workshops on GBV, maternal mortality, and family planning.48 (For more information on maternal health and family planning, see the “Health” section.) Later that year, religious leaders met to discuss child marriage, child abuse, and FGC.49

Health uinea’s health care system has improved sig-nificantly in the past decades; however, there remains much room for improvement. While life

expectancy has steadily risen since 2000, it is still only 60.7 years, more than ten years below the global aver-age.50 Communicable and infectious diseases, including lower respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are among the top causes of death.51 Malaria is of particular concern; the WHO estimates there were around 4.3 million cases in 2017. Although only around 8,000 of these cases proved fatal in 2017, malaria re-mains among the top causes of death in Guinea and is responsible for a fifth of deaths among children under age 5.52 Cholera is another recurring issue: the most re-cent outbreak of 2012 resulted in nearly 800 deaths.53

In 2018, around 120,000 Guineans were liv-ing with HIV/AIDS, with 6,600 new infections and 4,300 AIDS-related deaths that year. Ac-cess to treatment remains a challenge: only 40 percent of people living with HIV are currently on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and a mere third of HIV-positive pregnant women are taking medication to prevent mother-to-child transmission. In 2018, there were an estimated 81,000 orphans due to HIV/AIDS in Guinea.54

The national health care system faces nu-merous barriers to providing high-quality, accessible care to all Guineans. Health facili-ties are unevenly distributed across the coun-try, and many hospitals and clinics struggle with inadequate equipment and information

and communications technology (ICT). There are also chronic shortages of medication and trained personnel, with just 0.075 physicians and 0.368 nurses/midwives for every 1,000 people in 2016. Patients face long wait times and high fees; in 2016, half of total health care expenditures were paid out of pocket.55 While there are some faith-linked health facilities in the country, there is no religious health coordinating network com-parable to those in other sub-Saharan African coun-tries, and the vast majority of hospitals and clinics are government-run.56

The Ebola outbreak of 2014 brought international at-tention to Guinea’s weak health care infrastructure. (For more detail on the Ebola response, see box 3, “Religious

G

400

600

800

1000

1200Sub-Saharan Africa

Guinea

201620142012201020082006200420022000

Sub-Saharan AfricaGuinea

  FIGURE 5: Maternal Mortality Rates (per 100,000 live births) in Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2017

Source: https://data.worldbank.org

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8 World Faiths Development Dialogue | www.wfdd.us

RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

Responses to the Ebola Outbreak.”) Since then, the gov-ernment has committed to overhauling the national health care system in its 2015–2024 National Health Development Plan. However, financial constraints are likely to remain a key obstacle.57 In 2016, only 12 percent of government expenditures went toward the health care sector, which fell below the 15 percent benchmark set by the Abuja Declaration.58

Deficiencies in the health care system also have serious implications for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH). Guinea’s fertility rate remains high: women have on average 4.8 children in their life-time, and more than a third of women have their first child by age 18.59 Guinea’s maternal, neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality rates are all above average for sub-Saharan Africa.

Access to safe and reliable family planning is another key health issue. While a rising number of women are using modern contraceptive methods (MCM, from 7.5 percent in 2012 to 11 percent in 2018), Guinea’s modern

contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) remains among the lowest in francophone West Africa. In 2018, a quarter of women reported an unmet need for family planning.60

The Guinean government has expressed a strong commitment to improving maternal and child health in recent years, both as an active member of the Ouaga-dougou Partnership and an FP2020 Commitment Maker since 2013. Guinea’s Costed Implementation Plan for 2019–2023 takes a rights-based approach to improving access to family planning, increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate, and reducing unmet need.61

Faith actors in Guinea play an increasingly visible role in sensitizing communities to family planning as a means of birth spacing. In 2016, following consultations with WFDD and Senegal’s Group of Religious Leaders for Health and Development (Cadre des Religieux pour la Santé et le Déve-loppement, CRSD), Guinean religious leaders and represen-tatives established the Group of Religious for Health, Devel-opment, and Peace in Guinea (Groupe de Religieux pour la Santé, le Développement et la Paix en Guinée, GRSDP).62 Since

 BOX 3: Religious Responses to the Ebola Outbreak

a. “2014–2016 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at:

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.htmlb. Marshall, Katherine. “Case Study: Responding to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa: What Role Does Religion Play?” Berkley Center for

Religion, Peace and World Affairs (2016): 16; Blevins, John et al. “Faith and Global Health Practice in Ebola and HIV Emergencies.” American

Journal of Public Health 109, no 3 (2019): 381.

c. Marshall, Katherine. “Roles of religious actors in the West African Ebola response.” Development in Practice 27, no. 5 (2017): 622–633.

d. Blevins, John et al. “Faith and Global Health Practice in Ebola and HIV Emergencies.” American Journal of Public Health 109, no 3 (2019):

379–80.

Local and international faith actors

played a key leadership role in the

national response to the 2014–2016

Ebola outbreak, which claimed more

than 2,500 lives in Guinea alone.a At

a time when many Guineans regarded

local and international public health

officials with suspicion, religious lead-

ers drew on their authority to promote

behaviors that reduced the risk of in-

fection, mediate between community

members and public officials, and, in

some instances, provide medical care

to Ebola patients. Priests and imams

incorporated state-issued health

messages into weekly sermons, and

religious radio broadcasts helped

educate listeners on prevention

methods and dispelled myths around

Ebola. Social mediation councils

comprised of Muslim and Christian

representatives traveled across the

country to document community re-

sponses to public health messaging.

Not all faith actors contributed posi-

tively to the Ebola response, however,

with some reinforcing widespread

suspicions of public health officials

or blaming the spread of the virus on

marginalized groups.b

International faith-linked groups

also played a vital role on the front

lines of the Ebola response. Organiza-

tions such as Caritas, Catholic Relief

Services, and Samaritan’s Purse drew

upon their connections with local com-

munities to provide medical treatment

and care for patients and their families.

The Islamic Development Bank also

gave a US$35 million grant to support

relief efforts in Guinea, Liberia, and

Sierra Leone, and the Rome-based

Community of Sant’Egidio provided

Ebola treatment at its network of HIV/

AIDS clinics around Conakry.c

FIOs helped mitigate tensions be-

tween local communities and public

health officials on culturally sensitive

issues such as burial practices. When

the WHO called for an end to traditional

burial rites because of the health risks

they posed, many Guineans continued

these rites covertly. Following consulta-

tions with local faith leaders and inter-

national Muslim and Christian FIOS, in-

cluding the World Council of Churches

and Islamic Relief, the WHO adapted

its burial protocols to accommodate

traditional practices while minimizing

the risk of infection.d

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World Faiths Development Dialogue | www.wfdd.us 9

then, GRDSP has held workshops with religious leaders and representatives across Guinea to formulate an official religious stance on family planning, help dispel myths around MCM, and strengthen faith engagement with reproductive health issues more broadly.63

Government ministries have worked closely with faith actors on family planning issues. In April 2018, the SGAR launched a Na-tional Platform of Religious for the Promotion of Reproductive Health. The Platform aims to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes (reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, promoting safe and effective forms of family planning, increasing men’s access to reproductive health services) by addressing misconceptions about religious attitudes to-ward family planning.64

0

50

100

150

200

250Under-5 (SSA)

Under-5 (Guinea)

Infant (SSA)

Infant (Guinea)

Neonatal (SSA)

Neonatal (Guinea)

2017201420112008200520021999199619931990

Infant (SSA)Infant (Guinea)

Neonatal (SSA)Neonatal (Guinea)

Under-5 (SSA)Under-5 (Guinea)

  FIGURE 6: Neonatal, Infant, and Under-Five Mortality Rates (per 1,000 live births) in Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2018

Source: https://data.worldbank.org

 BOX 4: The Community of Sant’Egidio in Guinea

a. “A Discussion with Kpakilé Félémou, Community of Sant’Egidio, Republic of Guinea.” Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs,

September 3, 2011. Available at: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-kpakile-felemou- community-of-sant-egidio-republic-of-guinea

b. “Enregistrement des naissances: Sant’ Egidio et ses partenaires lancent le projet Droit au Nom.” Pressenza International Press Agency, July

17, 2019. Available at: https://www.pressenza.com/fr/2019/07/enregistrement-des-naissances-sant-egidio-et-ses- partenaires-lancent-le-projet-droit-au-nom/

c. “A Discussion with Kpakilé Félémou, Community of Sant’Egidio, Republic of Guinea.” Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs,

September 3, 2011. Available at: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-kpakile-felemou- community-of-sant-egidio-republic-of-guinea

The Community of Sant’Egidio (re-

ferred to simply as Sant’Egidio or The

Community) is a Rome-based Catholic

volunteer organization dedicated to nu-

merous social causes, including care

for the homeless, elderly, imprisoned,

and underserved youth. The Commu-

nity’s presence in Guinea dates back

to the early 1990s, when Sant’Egidio

provided educational support and led

peacebuilding activities for street chil-

dren in Conakry.

In 2006, Sant’Egidio opened its

first DREAM Center in Guinea, provid-

ing free diagnostic, monitoring, and

treatment services to HIV-positive

Guineans, as well as nutritional coun-

seling and material support; two more

DREAM Centers have opened since.a Sant’Egidio has sponsored campaigns

on specific health issues, such as the

“Right to a Name” campaign, launched

in July 2019, to increase birth registra-

tion in the Conakry and Labé regions.b

Sant’Egidio has also been involved

in promoting peace and democracy

in Guinea; following the military

takeover in 2008, representatives

from Sant’Egidio in Rome took part

in peace talks, helping to broker an

agreement to transition back to de-

mocracy in 2010.

In 2011, Sant’Egidio had around

1,500 members in Guinea, all of whom

were volunteers.c

Looking Ahead eligion is an influential facet of Guinean society, and faith-linked individuals and groups are ac-tively engaged in addressing some of the coun-

try’s most pressing development issues. However, their contributions are often underappreciated and, at times,

unacknowledged in official development discussions. This brief has highlighted faith-linked development work on education, gender equality, and health in Guinea; the key findings below are intended to help encourage fur-ther discussion and research about these topics.

R

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10 World Faiths Development Dialogue | www.wfdd.us

RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

Health care is among Guinea’s most urgent develop-ment issues. The 2014 Ebola outbreak exposed key weaknesses in the country’s health care infrastructure, including a poor communications system, lack of clinics in remote areas, and shortages of medicine, equipment, and qualified personnel. While local faith actors played an important role in spreading health messages and helping communities mitigate the risk of infection, few were directly involved in administering treatment. As the health care system recovers from the outbreak and prepares for public health crises of a similar magnitude, international development actors, especially faith-linked organizations with strong local ties to Guinea, have an opportunity to work with the government in implementing policy changes and supporting changes in community behavior.

Gender inequality is a major and far-reaching issue, affecting everything from girls’ education to women’s health. Guinean women still face considerable barriers to education, financial independence, and legal rights, while widespread permissive attitudes toward FGC and GBV have hindered effective prevention of violence against women and girls. Guinea’s maternal and child mortality rates are consistently higher than the sub-Saharan Afri-can average. Faith-inspired engagement around issues

like FGC, while gradual in its impact, demonstrates the potential for religious leaders and representatives to shift popular attitudes on sensitive and taboo issues in ways that recognize and respect traditional values.

Family planning is an emerging focus for Guinean religious leaders. With the support of government ministries, WFDD, and regional partner organizations, interfaith coalitions such as GSDRP are initiating local and national discussions around religiously acceptable forms of family planning, including modern methods of contraception (MCM). These efforts are a notable step in helping Guinean women access safe and reliable family planning methods in a country with some of the lowest modern contraceptive prevalence rates.

Religious engagement in the education sector is less documented than in other development areas. Faith-linked education work is largely confined to the running of Islamic and Christian schools in Guinea, which com-prise only a small number of institutions in a primarily public school system. However, schools that provide supplementary religious education, including Islamic madrasas, are not counted in formal government data, which makes it difficult to know the extent of their pres-ence and gauge their impact on the education system.

Endnotes1. Bensimon, Cyril, “Guinean opposition disputes election,” The

Guardian, October 29, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/guinea-elections-alpha-conde-diallo; Agence France-Presse, “Guinea president Alpha Conde wins second term with clear majority,” The Guardian, October 17, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/17/guinea-president-alpha-conde-election; “Guinea opposition cries foul in long-awaited local elections,” France 24, https://www.france24.com/en/20180205-guinea-opposition-cries-foul-long-awaited-local-elections; “Guinea: Deaths, Criminality in Post-Election Violence,” Human Rights Watch, July 24, 2018, https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/07/24/guinea-deaths-criminality-post-election-violence

2. Camara, Ougna, “Guinea President Seeks Change to Constitution That May Extend Rule,” Bloomberg, December 20, 2019, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-20/guinea-s-conde-seeks-change-to-constitution-that-may-extend-rule

3. “Mass anti-government protests turn violent in Guinea,” Al Jazeera, January 6, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/mass-anti-government-protests-turn-violent-guinea-200106191223655.html

4. “Corruption Perceptions Index 2018,” Transparency International, https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018

5. “Population in largest city-Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.URB.LCTY?locations=GN; “Urban population (% of population)- Guinea,” World Bank,

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=GN; “ Rural population (% of total population)- Guinea,” World Bank, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS?locations=GN

6. Institut National de la Statistique, “ Annuaire statistique,” Republique de Guinee, January 2019, pp 181, http://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Publications/INS/annuelles/Annuaire_INS_VF_2017.pdf

7. “Guinea 2017 International Religious Freedom Report.” Department of State, May 2018, pp 1.

8. “Guinea,” Pew Research Center, http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/guinea#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016; “The Bahá’í Community of Guinea,” The Bahá’í International Community, https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/guinea

9. Camara, Mohamed Saliou. “Nation building and the politics of Islamic internationalism in Guinea: toward an understanding of Muslims’ experience of globalization in Africa.” Contemporary Islam 1, no. 2 (2007): 155–172.

10. Camara et al. “Historical Dictionary of Guinea.” (2014). xxxvi-xxxviii.

11. “The Colonial Era.” Religious Literacy Project, Harvard University. https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/for-educators/country-profiles/france/colonial-era

12. “Guinea 2017 International Religious Freedom Report.” 5; Abdulai

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Iddrisu. Contesting Islam in Africa: Homegrown Wahhabism and Muslim Identity in Northern Ghana, 1920–2010. (2013).

13. Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Ed. John Esposito. 2004. 97; “Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation.” Pew Research Center. https://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/.

14. Moreau and Burnett. Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions. 2000. 419–420.

15. “Guinea.” World Christian Database. https://worldchristiandatabase-org.proxy.bc.edu/wcd/#/detail/country/87/-44-peoples

16. “Guinea.” Caritas International. https://www.caritas.org/where-caritas-work/africa/guinea/

17. “ENA en Guinée.” Église néo-apostolique, https://www.ena-guinee.org; “Guinea.” The Alliance. https://www.cmalliance.org/field/guinea

18. “Guinea.” World Christian Database. https://worldchristiandatabase-org.proxy.bc.edu/wcd/#/detail/country/87/-44-peoples; “Church Creates Conakry Branch- First Congregation in Guinea,” Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. June 223, 2017. https://www.mormonnewsroom.com.gh/articles/church-creates-first-branch-in-the-african-country-of-guinea

19. “Christian Council of Guinea.” World Council of Churches. https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/africa/guinea/ccg-1

20. Camara, Mohamed. “Nation Building and the Politics of Islamic Internationalism in Guinea: Toward an Understanding of Muslims’ Experience of Globalization in Africa.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Scholarly Commons, 2007. 10–12.

21. Esposito, John, ed. Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. 97; Camara, Mohamed. “Nation Building and the Politics of Islamic Internationalism in Guinea: Toward an Understanding of Muslims’ Experience of Globalization in Africa.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Scholarly Commons, 2007. 17.

22. Secretariat General of the Government. “Constitution of Guinea 2010.” Republic of Guinea, 2010. Available at: https://justiceguinee.gov.gn/a-propos/constitution-guineenne/

23. “Guinea 2017 International Religious Freedom Report.” United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2.

24. “Guinea.” Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/guinea/#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016

25. “Guinea 2017 International Religious Freedom Report.” United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2–3.

26. “Vers la réglementation des mosquées et écoles coraniques en Guinée.” Visionguinee.info, August 19, 2019. Available at: http://www.visionguinee.info/2019/08/19/vers-la-reglementation-des-mosquees-et-ecoles-coraniques-en-guinee/; “Guinée: réglementation des mosquées pour prévenir l’extrémisme.” Centre catholique des médias Cath-Info, September 5, 2019. Available at: https://www.cath.ch/newsf/guinee-reglementation-des-mosquees-pour-prevenir-lextremisme/

27. “Scores killed in Guinea ethnic violence.” Al Jazeera, July 17, 2013. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/07/201371711358547118.html; Djadi, Illia. “sectarian violence spirals in Guinea’s volatile southeast.” World Watch Monitor, July 31, 2013. Available at: https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2013/07/

sectarian-violence-spirals-in-guineas-volatile-southeast/; “Guinea.” Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/guinea/#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016

28. “Guinée: Le president Condé interpelle les chefs religieux.” Centre catholique des médias Cath-Info, October 9, 2017. Available at: https://www.cath.ch/newsf/guinee-president-conde-interpelle-chefs-religieux/

29. “School enrollment, primary (% gross).” World Bank, 2016. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.ENRR?locations=GN

30. Guinea Education Project for Results in Early Childhood and Basic Education. “Project Information Document (PID).” World Bank, 2019. Available at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/292711553199830295/pdf/Project-Information-Document-Guinea-Education-Project-for-Results-in-Early-Childhood-and-Basic-Education-P167478.pdf

31. “Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above).” World Bank, 2014. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=GN; “Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15–24).” World Bank, 2014. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS?locations=GN

32. “School enrollment, tertiary (% gross).” World Bank, 2014. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=GN

33. “Zoom sure un système éducatif: La Guinée en questions.” IIEP-Pôle de Dakar. Available at: https://poledakar.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/fields/publication_files/zoom_sur_un_systeme_educatif_la_guinee_en_question_0.pdf

34. Ministries of Education and Formation. “République de Guinée: Analyse du secteur de l’éducation et de la formation.” 2019. 101, 110, 127.

35. World Bank, 2016. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/country/guinea

36. Ministries of Education and Formation. “République de Guinée: Analyse du secteur de l’éducation et de la formation.” 2019. 45, 50, 53.

37. Guinea Country Profile.” USAID. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://idea.usaid.gov/cd/guinea/gender

38. “Guinea 2017 International Religious Freedom Report.” United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 3–4.

39. “The Global Gender Gap Report: 2018.” World Economic Forum, 2018. 11.

40. “Guinea Country Profile.” USAID. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://idea.usaid.gov/cd/guinea/gender; “Guinée: musulmans et chrétiens se mobilisent contre les violence envers les enfants.” Centre catholique des médias Cath-Info, July 9, 2018. Available at: https://www.cath.ch/newsf/guinee-musulmans-et-chretiens-se-mobilisent-contre-les-violences-envers-les-enfants/

41. “Freedom in the World 2019: Guinea.” Freedom House. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/guinea

42. “The Global Gender Gap Report: 2018.” World Economic Forum, 2018. 11; Guinea National Institute of Statistics. “Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Mutiples (EDS-MICS) 2012.” 2013. 305.

43. “Rapport sur les droits humains et la pratique des mutilations génitales féminines/excision en Guinée.” UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2016. 8.

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RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA

44. “Situation of human rights in Guinea.” UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2017.

45. Guinea National Institute of Statistics. “Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Mutiples (EDS-MICS) 2012.” 2013. 305.

46. “Situation of human rights in Guinea.” UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2017.

47. “Exchange Visit to Guinea by Senegalese Faith Leaders to Discuss Religious Engagement for Maternal and Child Health.” World Faiths Development Dialogue, 2016. Available at: http://crsdsenegal.org/le-groupe-de-religieux-pour-la-sante-le-developpement-et-la-paix-en-guinee-grsdp-est-ne/

48. “Santé en Guinée vers la mise en place de la plateforem nationale des religieux.” Aminata.com, April 15, 2018. Available at: https://aminata.com/sante-en-guinee-vers-la-mise-en-place-de-la-plateforme-nationale-des-religieux/

49. “Guinée: musulmans et chrétiens se mobilisent contre les violence envers les enfants.” Centre catholique des médias Cath-Info, July 9, 2018. Available at: https://www.cath.ch/newsf/guinee-musulmans-et-chretiens-se-mobilisent-contre-les-violences-envers-les-enfants/

50. “Life expectancy at birth, total (years).” World Bank, 2017. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=GN

51. “Global Health: Guinea.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/guinea/default.htm

52. “Malaria Country Profile: Guinea.” World Health Organization, 2018. Available at: https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/country-profiles/profile_gin_en.pdf?ua=1; “Global Health: Guinea.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/guinea/default.htm; “Countdown Country Dashboards: Guinea.” Countdown to 2030. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: http://profiles.countdown2030.org/#/ds/GIN

53. “Cholera Epidemiology and Response Factsheet: Guinea.” UNICEF, 2014. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/cholera/files/UNICEF-Factsheet-Guinea-EN-FINAL.pdf

54. “Guinea.” UNAIDS. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/guinea

55. “Country Cooperation Strategy at a Glance: Guinea.” World Health Organization, 2015. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/246211/ccsbrief_gin_en.pdf?sequence=1; “Countdown Country Dashboards: Guinea.” Countdown to 2030. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: http://profiles.countdown2030.org/#/ds/GIN

56. Marshall, Katherine. “Roles of religious actors in the West African Ebola response.” Development in Practice 27, no. 5 (2017): 622–633.

57. “Country Cooperation Strategy at a Glance: Guinea.” World Health Organization, 2015. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/246211/ccsbrief_gin_en.pdf?sequence=1

58. “Countdown Country Dashboards: Guinea.” Countdown to 2030. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: http://profiles.countdown2030.org/#/ds/GIN

59. “Maternal and Newborn Health Disparities: Guinea.” UNICEF, 2018; “Population growth (annual %).” World Bank, 2018. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?view=chart

60. “Guinea: Commitment Maker Since 2013.” Family Planning 2020. Accessed February 3, 2020. Available at: https://www.familyplanning2020.org/guinea

61. Ministry of Health. “Plan d’Action National Budgétisé de Planification Familiale de la Guinée 2019–2023.” 2018. Available at: http://www.healthpolicyplus.com/ns/pubs/11275-11496_GuineaCIP.pdf

62. “Exchange Visit to Guinea by Senegalese Faith Leaders to Discuss Religious Engagement for Maternal and Child Health.” World Faiths Development Dialogue, 2016. Available at: http://crsdsenegal.org/le-groupe-de-religieux-pour-la-sante-le-developpement-et-la-paix-en-guinee-grsdp-est-ne/

63. Camara, Alhousseny. “Guinée : Les leaders religieux de Conakry à l’école de la planification familiale.” BCmedia.org, May 9, 2018. Available at: http://www.bcmedia.org/2018/05/09/guinee-les-leaders-religieux-a-lecole-de-la-planification-a-conakry/

64. “Santé en Guinée vers la mise en place de la plateforem nationale des religieux.” Aminata.com, April 15, 2018. Available at: https://aminata.com/sante-en-guinee-vers-la-mise-en-place-de-la-plateforme-nationale-des-religieux/

The World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) is a not-for-profit organization working at the intersection of religion and global

development. Housed within the Berkley Center in Washington, D.C., WFDD documents the work of faith inspired organizations

and explores the importance of religious ideas and actors in development contexts. WFDD supports dialogue among religious and

development communities and promotes innovative partnerships, at national and international levels, with the goal of contributing

to positive and inclusive development outcomes.

This brief, authored by Luisa Banchoff, is a continuation of WFDD’s country mapping work. Additional information and publications can

be found at https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/projects/mapping-of-faith-inspired-organizations-by-world-region-and-country. Address questions to WFDD ([email protected]).

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