The World Bank has approved a $20 million grant to enhance education, health, and social protection services in Guinea-Bissau. The initiative targets vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, adolescent girls, and disadvantaged families.
The Guinea-Bissau Human Capital Project is designed to improve access to quality social services nationwide. It includes activities such as providing cash transfers to poor families for health, education, and nutrition investments; establishing a National Social Registry for social programs; offering capacity building for social workers, teachers, and health professionals; implementing a national community health strategy; and distributing new learning materials to schools while expanding technology use in education.
Rosa Brito, World Bank Group Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau, stated: “When we talk about Human Capital, we refer to the knowledge, skills, and health individuals accumulate over their lives, enabling them to reach their full potential as members of society.” She added that the project aims at empowering women, girls, and children by delivering essential social services during critical development stages.
The project will run through 2030 in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity. It is expected to benefit 111,000 primary school children directly along with over 200,000 pregnant women and adolescent girls. Additionally, more than 1 million children under five years old and 3,500 vulnerable households are set to gain from this initiative.