Free medical care protects vulnerable families in Guinea

Fatoumata Sow is a mother living in Damakanian, a village in Guinea more than 100 kilometers from the capital, Conakry. It was only during her fourth pregnancy that she was able to benefit from adequate health care, thanks to the establishment of a community health center in her village, which gave her access to quality care. For her, it's a relief tinged with difficult memories. The ordeals her couple went through remain etched in her memory. “My first three children were born at home because my husband and I couldn't afford the cost of pre- and post-natal care,” she says, describing painful complications due to lack of proper care.

Until a few years ago, access to health care was a real obstacle for the vulnerable populations of Damakanian, constrained by their purchasing power and the lack of availability of medical services. Patients had to walk between 3 and 5 kilometers to reach a community health center, often with no guarantee of care, due to high fees.

“We lacked medicine, water, and electricity. It was an ordeal, not only for the patients, but also for the health center,” recalls Dr. Fatoumata Barry, head of the Damakanian Community Health Center.

Free healthcare available to vulnerable populations

At the community health center in Damakanian, the relief is palpable. Fatoumata Sow is now a beneficiary of the Health Services and Capacity Strengthening Project (PRSCS), which aims to improve access to reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) services in the Kankan and Kindia regions. “With my health care card, I no longer pay for care, and my children are monitored regularly. The medical staff is welcoming and warm,” she says with satisfaction.

In Dubréka, the project contributed to an increase in the utilization of health services, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. It also allowed to train and recruit staff, while improving equipment and logistics. “Thanks to this project, our practices, methods and techniques have evolved,” says Dr. Sékou Bakayoko, Director of the Dubréka Prefectural Health Center. “The culture of performance and results is now reflected in the attitude of health staff and patient satisfaction, thanks to results-based financing,” he adds proudly.

Improved attendance and performance

The number of expectant mothers visiting at least four antenatal care visits increased from 77,951 to a total of 713,409. The number of women who received modern contraceptive methods increased from 52,812 in 2017 to 648,852 by the end of June 2024 thanks to the project. The number of fully vaccinated children 0-11 months has increased from 94,640 in 2017 to 698,860 today, and those receiving vitamin A supplementation every 6 months has gone from 11,407 to a total of 127,107 children.

The project, which was completed in June 2024, will be extended under the new Guinea Enhancing Health System Transformation Project (GUEST), financed to the tune of $95 million, including $85 million from the International Development Association (IDA) and $10 million from the Global Financing Facility for Women.  Children and Adolescents (GFF). This project aims to improve the quality and utilization of health services, with a focus on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescent and nutritional health (SRMNEA-N). It will strengthen the operational capacity of health facilities in terms of human, material, energy, water and medicine, while integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.

The project will also support the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene to improve the quality of care, provide free care to people in extreme poverty, and increase community engagement to improve access to quality health services. It will also modernize the national civil registration and identification system to ensure access to health services for all populations, especially the most vulnerable.