According to the Bank’s website, the Project to Strengthen Health Systems and Skills and Create Jobs for Young People and Women in Guinea-Bissau (PSCE) aims to reinforce the resilience of the national health system while promoting economic opportunities for youth and women. The total project cost amounts to UA 16.66 million, of which UA 15 million is financed through a Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pillar I grant, representing 90% of the total envelope. The Government of Guinea-Bissau will provide UA 1.66 million in counterpart funding, covering a combination of cash and in-kind contributions such as office space, utility costs, and part of the equipment for health facilities. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Public Health, with technical support from the World Health Organization under a tripartite agreement.

The overall objective of the PSCE is to improve resilience by enhancing access to quality health and nutrition services in rural and peri-urban areas, while creating decent jobs—particularly for women and young people. More specifically, the project seeks to: (i) improve the accessibility, quality, and climate-resilience of health and nutrition services; (ii) strengthen the training capacity of national institutions to develop qualified human resources for the health sector; and (iii) increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people and women across the health-sector value chain and in food-processing activities.

The project will directly benefit an estimated 110,000 people living in the regions of Tombali, Bafata, Cacheu, Quinara, Biombo and Oio—areas with some of the weakest health indicators in the country. Women and children will gain improved access to maternal, neonatal, paediatric, emergency and reproductive health services through the rehabilitation and equipping of four health facilities and the upgrading of six others. Health professionals, including young graduates and women, will benefit from strengthened training institutions, updated curricula, and expanded training opportunities. Additionally, the project will support the creation and consolidation of 550 MSMEs, generating approximately 1,490 direct and indirect jobs, half of which are reserved for youth. Local communities will also benefit from strengthened hygiene, nutrition and disease-prevention programmes.

Environmental Category: [2] Moderate Risk

The project has been classified under Category B.

Main environmental and social risks and impacts of the project:

Environmental risks are linked to Component 1 and Sub-Component 1.1 concerning rehabilitation and equipping of 4 health facilities to improve quality healthcare service delivery. These risks and impacts concern both the rehabilitation and equipping phase and the operational phase. During the construction phase, identified risks (moderate to low) include: (i) respiratory infections (particularly for young patients in maternity units and emergency departments) due to dust and effluent emissions from masonry, carpentry, and painting work; (ii) accidents related to the movement of construction machinery; (iii) soil pollution due to the poor management of construction waste; (iv) intoxication/contamination due to the on-site accumulation and poor management of biomedical waste.

Social risks include: (i) social conflicts between construction workers, health centre staff, and neighbouring populations and patients; (ii) increased risk of gender-based violence, particularly SEA/SH, especially during identification and training of women and youth in hospital professions.

The total project cost amounts to UA 16.66 million, of which UA 15 million is financed through a Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pillar I grant, representing 90% of the total envelope. The Government of Guinea-Bissau will provide UA 1.66 million in counterpart funding, covering a combination of cash and in-kind contributions such as office space, utility costs, and part of the equipment for health facilities.

Financial Instrument: Project Cycle Grant
Commitments (UA): 13,908,237
Conversion Rate USD (2025-11-25): 1,34161
Commitments (USD): 18,659,429.84

Name: Moustapha CISSE
Email: m.o.cisse@afdb.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/