VZCZCXRO9804
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1083 1381411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181411Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8338
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0241
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0792
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0949
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0454
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0820

UNCLAS DAKAR 001083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IO - AMBASSADOR REES, G/TIP, AF/EPS AND AF/W 
AID/W FOR AFR/WA AND AFR/SD 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA 
PARIS PLS PASS TO USMISSION TO UNESCO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI EAID UNICEF PU
SUBJECT: UNICEF REP HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES IN GUINEA-BISSAU AND 
APPEALS FOR USG SUPPORT 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  On April 16, Jean Dricot, the UNICEF Representative in 
Guinea-Bissau, called on then-Charge and Acting DCM to solicit 
support for UNICEF's USD 58 million, 2008-2012 program.  He 
highlighted some of the huge challenges that the Government and 
donors face in one of the world's poorest countries.  Discussing 
health issues, he stressed vaccinations, breast feeding, bed nets to 
prevent malaria as ways to combat one of the highest child mortality 
rates in Africa.  Focusing on education, he discussed malnutrition, 
teacher training and high drop-out rates.  We also discussed 
Guinea-Bissau's worsening HIV/AIDS problem, and the lack of public 
awareness about how HIV spreads.  END SUMMARY. 
 
HEALTH 
------ 
¶2.  UNICEF believes that it can halve the number of Bissau-Guinean 
children under five who perish each year by expanding vaccinations 
against measles and tetanus; encouraging breast feeding beyond two 
months; reducing cholera and diarrhea through enhanced hand washing; 
and distributing more bed nets to reduce the incidence of malaria in 
mothers and children.  Working with community radios, traditional 
chiefs and religious leaders, UNICEF is already doing extensive 
sensitization.  One complicating factor is rising malnutrition 
caused by salinization and last year's artificially high price for 
cashews that left many unsold and left farmers without income. 
 
¶3.  HIV/AIDS and female genital mutilation also contribute to 
Guinea-Bissau's health problems.  Sentinel surveys reveal that seven 
percent of pregnant women are HIV positive.  Three-fourths of youth 
report that they do not know how HIV spreads; yet 25 percent of 
children over 15 report that they have had sexual relations. 
 
EDUCATION 
--------- 
¶4.  UNICEF estimates that 60 percent of Bissau-Guinean children 
start school.  However, 26 distinct languages, the absence of a 
widely spoken national language, and a lack of teacher training 
translates into a school system that functions poorly when teachers 
are not on strike over unpaid wages.  Sixty percent of the estimated 
4,500 teachers are not trained, and 1,500 public-school teachers 
(one third) do not even have ninth-grade educations themselves. 
 
KORANIC SCHOOLS 
--------------- 
¶5.  Islamic (Koranic) schools attempt to make up some of the 
deficit.  Over 20,000 Bissau-Guinean children attend Koranic 
schools; almost 45 percent of them -- or 9,000 -- also attend public 
schools. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6.  Guinea-Bissau faces numerous challenges, including narcotics 
trafficking, bloated security forces, and overdependence on a single 
crop.  The United Nations, the European Commission, the Global Fund, 
and a few private foundations are working diligently to address some 
of the most pressing needs.  We hope the Department will support 
UNICEF's request for USD 58 million for Guinea-Bissau between 2008 
and 2012.  END COMMENT. 
 
JACOBS