Assessment of Guinea-Bissau Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Capacity

PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized Assessmentof Assessmentof Guinea-Bissau’s PandemicPrevention,Preparedness,andResponseCapacity PublicDisclosureAuthorized Guinea-Bissau’s PandemicPrevention,Preparedness, andResponseCapacity Assessmentof Guinea-Bissau’s PandemicPrevention,Preparedness, andResponseCapacity 2024 ©2024InternationalBankforReconstructionandDevelopment/TheWorldBank1818HStreetNW,Washington,DC20433 Telephone:202-473-1000;Internet:www.worldbank.org ThisworkisaproductofthestaffofTheWorldBankwithexternalcontributions.Thefindings,interpretations,andconclusionsexpressedinthisworkdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofTheWorldBank,itsBoardofExecutiveDirectors,orthegovernmentstheyrepresent. TheWorldBankdoesnotguaranteetheaccuracyofthedataincludedinthiswork.Theboundaries,colors,denominations,andotherinformationshownonanymapinthisworkdonotimplyanyjudgmentonthepartofTheWorldBankconcerningthelegalstatusofanyterritoryortheendorsementoracceptanceofsuchboundaries.NothinghereinshallconstituteorbeconstruedorconsideredtobealimitationuponorwaiveroftheprivilegesandimmunitiesofTheWorldBank,allofwhicharespecificallyreserved. RightsandPermissions ThisworkisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution3.0IGOlicense(CCBY3.0IGO)http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo.UndertheCreativeCommonsAttributionlicense,youarefreetocopy,distribute,transmit,andadaptthiswork,includingforcommercialpurposes,underthefollowingconditions: Attribution—Pleasecitetheworkasfollows:WorldBank.2024.“AssessmentofGuinea-Bissau’s PandemicPrevention,Preparedness,andResponseCapacity.”Washington,DC:WorldBank Translations—Ifyoucreateatranslationofthiswork,pleaseaddthefollowingdisclaimeralongwiththeattribution:ThistranslationwasnotcreatedbyTheWorldBankandshouldnotbeconsideredanofficialWorldBanktranslation.TheWorldBankshallnotbeliableforanycontentorerrorinthistranslation. Adaptations—Ifyoucreateanadaptationofthiswork,pleaseaddthefollowingdisclaimeralongwiththeattribution:ThisisanadaptationofanoriginalworkbyTheWorldBank.ViewsandopinionsexpressedintheadaptationarethesoleresponsibilityoftheauthororauthorsoftheadaptationandarenotendorsedbyTheWorldBank. Third-partycontent—TheWorldBankdoesnotnecessarilyowneachcomponentofthecontentcontainedwithinthework.TheWorldBankthereforedoesnotwarrantthattheuseofanythird-party-ownedindividualcomponentorpartcontainedintheworkwillnotinfringeontherightsofthosethirdparties.Theriskofclaimsresultingfromsuchinfringementrestssolelywithyou.Ifyouwishtoreuseacomponentofthework,itisyourresponsibilitytodeterminewhetherpermissionisneededforthatreuseandtoobtainpermissionfromthecopyrightowner.Examplesofcomponentscaninclude,butarenotlimitedto,tables,figures,orimages. AllqueriesonrightsandlicensesshouldbeaddressedtoWorldBankPublications,TheWorld BankGroup,1818HStreetNW,Washington,DC20433,USA;e-mail:pubrights@worldbank.org. ExecutiveSummary TheCOVID-19pandemicwasasoberingexampleofhowill-preparedmanycountriesweretorespondtoafast-spreadingdiseaseforwhichtheworldinitiallyhadfewtoolstodefendagainst,theresultsofwhichweremanyliveslost,economiesdevastated,andsocialorderdisrupted.Ithighlightedtheneedforcountriestoincreasetheircapacityforpandemicprevention,preparedness,andresponse(PPR),includingdedicatingfinancialresourcestoadvancepreparedness,ensuringrobustplanningatnationalandsubnationallevels,andestablishingstrongcoordinationandcollaborationmechanismsacrosssectors.ToimprovePPRcapacityistofundamentallymakehealthsystemsstronger.Strongerhealthsystemsaremoreresilienttoshocks,betterabletoadaptduringtimesofcrises,andmorecapableatrespondingtoandrecoveringfromhealthemergencies. Guinea-BissauisasmallcountryinWesternAfricawithahistoryoflong-standingpoliticalinstability,highpovertyratesandincreasedvulnerabilitytoclimatechangeandzoonoticspillovers(diseasespreadfromanimalstohumans).Ithasachronicallyunder-resourcedhealthsystemthatsuffersfromalackofinfrastructureandaccesstoessentialmedicines,weakgovernance,andinadequatehumanresources,amongotherissues.UnderstandingthebiggestgapsinGuinea-Bissau’sPPRcapacityisessentialtobeabletoprioritizeinvestmentsthatenhancethecountry’spreparednessforfutureepidemicsandpandemics. ThisreportrepresentsacomprehensiveassessmentofGuinea-Bissau’sPPRcapacityconductedbytheWorldBank.ThereportdetailskeygapsandfindingsaboutGuinea-Bissau’shealthsystemandsetsoutpriorityrecommendationstostrengthenitsPPRcapacityandhealthsystemresilience.Keyfindingsaregroupedintofiveareasidentifiedasmostcriticalandinurgentneedofattentiontoprepareforfuturethreats. Governance,PartnershipandCoordination Guinea-Bissauwasfoundtohavepoorcoordination,particularlyacrosssectors,andhighfragmentationwithinthehealthsectorforaddressinghealthemergencies.ThecountrylacksstrategicplansrelatedtoPPRandthereisnoOneHealthstrategyinplace.Thereisweakfinancingofimportantpublichealthinstitutions,whichpreventsthemfrombeingabletoeffectivelycarryouttheirmandates.Chronicpoliticalinstabilityhasledtohighturnoverinleadershiprolesresultinginthelossofin