PSI

PSI/Guinea was established in 1991 with the goal of improving reproductive health and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS through social marketing. Since then, PSI/Guinea has expanded its portfolio to include programs in malaria, safe water, and female genital cutting.

With the support of international donors such as KfW, USAID, and UNICEF, PSI plays a vital role in improving public health in Guinea. PSI’s social marketing activities in the fight against childhood diseases (such as diarrhea), unplanned pregnancies, HIV and female genital cutting positively impacts the most vulnerable populations in Guinea. In addition, PSI’s programming ensures the availability and utilization of condoms, oral rehydration salts (ORS), safe water solutions, and hormonal contraceptives which ultimately have improved public health in Guinea over the past two decades.

Health Areas

Child Survival, Diarrheal Disease, HIV, Malaria, Reproductive Health

Health Impact

PSI/Guinea estimates that in 2010, its products and services helped avert:
60 HIV & TB cases, 25,316 unintended pregnancies, 598,331 malaria cases and 130,593 diarrhea cases.

Health Interventions

• Safe Water Solution
• Diarrheal Disease Treatment
• Male Condom
• Oral Contraception
• Injectable Contraception

Improving Health in Guinea

Reproductive Health

Family Planning

Two hormonal contraceptives, Planyl and Equilibre, are sold in pharmacies nationwide. In order to improve the quality of family planning services, PSI/Guinea has trained pharmacists and clinical health care providers in contraceptive technology and counseling for correct contraceptive use. PSI/Guinea works with the Ministry of Health to ensure wide availability of contraceptives in public and private health facilities. In 2008, PSI/Guinea implemented community-based distribution activities to increase informed demand for reproductive health products and services in collaboration with three national NGOs. PSI/Guinea trained more than 100 community-based agents and equipped them with promotional and Behavior Change Communication (BCC) support materials and products for distribution in rural areas.

Safe Water/Child Survival

Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Zinc

In 1997, PSI/Guinea began programs in the prevention of diarrheal diseases and the treatment of dehydration caused by diarrhea by promoting oral rehydration therapy and oral rehydration salts called Orasel. In 2005, PSI/Guinea obtained approval from the Ministry of Health to market Orasel publicly in health clinics, and privately in commercial outlets. Orasel is marketed to mothers and caregivers of children under the age of five.

PLANNED ACTIVITY

Orasel is set to be replaced by Orasel+Zinc in 2010. The new branded product will be financed through PSI/Guinea’s principal donor, KfW. With the third phase of KfW funding, the new Zinc component will be packaged jointly with a new flavored oral rehydration salt to combat dehydration during diarrhea but also prevent future cases of diarrhea.

Safe Water

With the launch and the distribution of the water disinfectant Sur’Eau in 2006, PSI/Guinea has made significant contributions to the reduction of diarrheal diseases. Since the population of Guinea has little access to safe drinking water; this product is a solution for households throughout the country to obtain potable water. PSI/Guinea initially piloted the product in 2006, with financing from a cooperative partnership between PSI/Guinea and the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, and has since expanded its distribution nationwide in 2008. Given the high incidence of diarrhea, water borne ailments, and the almost annual cholera epidemics in Guinea, PSI/Guinea successfully piloted the project in selected areas of the country. Sur’Eau, now financed through KfW, has enabled PSI/Guinea to work closely with UNICEF to prevent the spread of cholera throughout Guinea and is now a principal component of PSI/Guinea’s portfolio of national social marketing products.

HIV

Condom Social Marketing

Since 2007, PSI/Guinea has been focused on the distribution of its Prudence Plus condoms in the private sector. PSI/Guinea operates a condom social marketing program that includes a nationwide distribution network of over 50 wholesalers, supplying over 8,000 retailers of its branded condom Prudence Plus. Prudence Plus is now widely available in rural and urban Guinea.

Targeting High-Risk Populations with BCC

PSI/Guinea has been training peer educators since 2005 to implement behavior change communication activities for programs that target high-risk groups, including commercial sex workers, truckers, and youth. This program includes workplace interventions for miners, truck drivers, and uniformed personnel. PSI/Guinea is a partner in the regional PSAMAO program, working to raise awareness amongst long-distance truck drivers. Also, in collaboration with the Guinean armed forces and the US Department of Defense, PSI has built the capacity of military personnel to train their own peer educators, in addition to developing a written policy on HIV prevention which has been approved and signed by the Government of Guinea. Following the success of PSI/Guinea’s activities with the military, the Ministry of Interior solicited a similar intervention targeting the police. PSI’s youth-focused program partners with the Minister of Youth and popular musicians and personalities to promote safe sexual practices among those under 25.

Project “Faisons Ensemble” (VCT and HIV Awareness)

As a member of a consortium of partners led by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and financed by USAID since 2007, PSI implements projects to inform and empower the population of Guinea to fight off and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Through this partnership PSI supports 28 voluntary counseling and testing centers throughout the country through which people come to learn their HIV status. By utilizing a governance-based approach whereby community organizations join hands with the local health officials to support and oversee operations, the project ensures that the centers function sustainably. The project is also helping to produce HIV/AIDS-focused radio and TV spots of leaders, including the prime minister pledging to fight the epidemic. In addition, PSI uses youth focused methods often featuring popular Guinean musicians, trained in HIV prevention education, to reach both youth and adults with anti-AIDS messages.

Female Genital Cutting

Female genital cutting is a major problem in Guinea, as it touches practically the entire population—96% of girls are cut. PSI, with the support of KFW as well as USAID pass-through funding from Pathfinder International, has launched an ambitious program to address this issue. PSI’s strategy focuses on the involvement of religious and secular opinion leaders—such as the internationally acclaimed Guinean singer, Sekouba Bambino—who are engaging actively and publicly in the program. Launched only very recently, PSI-Guinea is already considered the leader in this health area by all partners. The interpersonal communication activities led by PSI in Middle Guinea and Upper Guinea are implemented through the engagement of religious, community, and traditional leaders. In 2009, PSI conducted its seminal TRaC study on this issue, the results of which have already been lauded by other national and international partners such as Pathfinder, Tostan, and the Ministry of Health.

Malaria

Social Marketing of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (LLINs)

Between 2004 and 2007, through financing from USAID and the aluminum producer Alcoa, PSI/Guinea socially marketed the Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (LLINs) under the brands Serena and Mama Serena in private sector channels as well as community health centers. During this period PSI distributed 140,000 LLINs to pregnant women and other members of mining communities in the prefectures of N’zerekore and Boke.

Free Distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (LLINs)

Throughout 2009, PSI became instrumental in the mobilization of resources and implementation of the 2009 integrated measles vaccination campaign sponsored by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and in partnership with CRS and Plan Guinea. This campaign also targeted the distribution of LLINs to 80% of children under five and 80% of all pregnant women. PSI distributed approximately 425,000 mosquito nets directly to beneficiaries in six prefectures throughout Guinea. In addition, PSI conducted pre and post distribution campaigns to ensure the proper use of LLINs in its regions of intervention.

Target Populations

HIV/AIDS: Commercial sex workers, armed forces, miners, transporters and youth; Reproductive Health: young married women and their partners; Malaria and Child Survival: mothers with children under five, people living with HIV/AIDS