UNICEF REP HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES IN GUINEA-BISSAU AND

UNCLAS DAKAR 001083 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO - AMBASSADOR REES, G/TIP, AF/EPS AND AF/W AID/W FOR AFR/WA AND AFR/SD ACCRA FOR USAID/WA PARIS PLS PASS TO USMISSION TO UNESCO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI EAID UNICEF PU SUBJECT: UNICEF REP HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES IN GUINEA-BISSAU AND APPEALS FOR USG SUPPORT SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. On April 16, Jean Dricot, the UNICEF Representative in Guinea-Bissau, called on then-Charge and Acting DCM to solicit support for UNICEF's USD 58 million, 2008-2012 program. He highlighted some of the huge challenges that the Government and donors face in one of the world's poorest countries. Discussing health issues, he stressed vaccinations, breast feeding, bed nets to prevent malaria as ways to combat one of the highest child mortality rates in Africa. Focusing on education, he discussed malnutrition, teacher training and high drop-out rates. We also discussed Guinea-Bissau's worsening HIV/AIDS problem, and the lack of public awareness about how HIV spreads. END SUMMARY. HEALTH -------------- ¶2. UNICEF believes that it can halve the number of Bissau-Guinean children under five who perish each year by expanding vaccinations against measles and tetanus; encouraging breast feeding beyond two months; reducing cholera and diarrhea through enhanced hand washing; and distributing more bed nets to reduce the incidence of malaria in mothers and children. Working with community radios, traditional chiefs and religious leaders, UNICEF is already doing extensive sensitization. One complicating factor is rising malnutrition caused by salinization and last year's artificially high price for cashews that left many unsold and left farmers without income. ¶3. HIV/AIDS and female genital mutilation also contribute to Guinea-Bissau's health problems. Sentinel surveys reveal that seven percent of pregnant women are HIV positive. Three-fourths of youth report that they do not know how HIV spreads; yet 25 percent of children over 15 report that they have had sexual relations. EDUCATION -------------- ¶4. UNICEF estimates that 60 percent of Bissau-Guinean children start school. However, 26 distinct languages, the absence of a widely spoken national language, and a lack of teacher training translates into a school system that functions poorly when teachers are not on strike over unpaid wages. Sixty percent of the estimated 4,500 teachers are not trained, and 1,500 public-school teachers (one third) do not even have ninth-grade educations themselves. KORANIC SCHOOLS -------------- ¶5. Islamic (Koranic) schools attempt to make up some of the deficit. Over 20,000 Bissau-Guinean children attend Koranic schools; almost 45 percent of them -- or 9,000 -- also attend public schools. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. Guinea-Bissau faces numerous challenges, including narcotics trafficking, bloated security forces, and overdependence on a single crop. The United Nations, the European Commission, the Global Fund, and a few private foundations are working diligently to address some of the most pressing needs. We hope the Department will support UNICEF's request for USD 58 million for Guinea-Bissau between 2008 and 2012. END COMMENT. JACOBS