WHO · UNICEF · UN IGME 2024← All Countries

🇬🇳

Maternal & Child Mortality
in Guinea

West Africa · #8 of 30 worst globally

Child Deaths Since Jan 1, 2026

0

79.5 per 1,000 live births · Guinea

Deaths at Birth Today

0

est. newborns today

Infant Mortality Rate

79.5

per 1,000 · 2.9× world avg

Maternal Mortality Rate

553

per 100,000 · 2.8× world avg

West Africa

Birth Mortality Crisis

Mothers & Newborns
Dying in Guinea
During Childbirth

553 maternal deaths per 100,000 driven by a severe shortage of skilled birth attendants and widespread early marriage.

Newborn & Infant Mortality

79.5deaths per 1,000 live births

2.9× the world average

Maternal Mortality During Birth

553deaths per 100,000 live births

2.8× the world average

👶

Newborn & Child Deaths During Birth in Guinea

Guinea was ground zero for the 2014 Ebola epidemic, which exposed and amplified systemic health weaknesses. Malaria is responsible for more child deaths than any other cause, yet bed net coverage remains below 50% nationally.

Progress since 2000 disrupted by political crises (coup 2021) and epidemic setbacks.

Leading Causes of Child Death at Birth

Malaria29%

Neonatal causes24%

Diarrhoea15%

Pneumonia14%

Other18%

* Neonatal deaths (first 28 days) represent the largest share of under-5 mortality.

What Happens in the Delivery Room

🏥

Births in a health facility~79%

estimated — lower in conflict/rural areas

👩‍⚕️

Skilled birth attendant present~38%

doctor, midwife or trained nurse

⚠️

Neonatal deaths (first 28 days)48%

of all under-5 deaths occur at birth

🩸

Most preventable with skilled care~75%

of child and maternal deaths

🤱

Maternal Mortality During Birth in Guinea

FGM prevalence exceeds 94% in Guinea, contributing to obstructed labour and maternal death. Only 45% of births are attended by skilled health workers. The 2021 military coup disrupted international health aid.

Moderate improvement since 2000 but stalled after the 2021 coup.

Causes of Death During Labour & Delivery

Haemorrhage30%

Sepsis20%

Eclampsia19%

Obstructed labour15%

Anaemia9%

Other7%

* Haemorrhage and eclampsia together cause over 50% of deaths — both are treatable with basic skilled care.

Why Mothers Die at Birth Here

🩺

Emergency obstetric care availableLimited

few facilities can manage haemorrhage

🩸

Blood transfusion accessCritical gap

haemorrhage kills within 2 hours

💊

Magnesium sulphate (eclampsia)Often absent

costs $1 — saves lives instantly

✅

If skilled care were universal~75% fewer deaths

WHO estimate for this mortality level

⚠️

Why Is This Still Happening?

Structural Barriers to Safe Birth in Guinea

94%+ FGM prevalence driving obstetric complications

2014 Ebola epidemic — lasting health system damage

Military coup 2021 reducing international support

High child marriage rate (52% before age 18)

Severe shortage of female health workers outside Conakry

🎯

SDG 3 Progress Assessment

Guinea needs sustained peace and governance reform to accelerate the health improvements seen in the early 2000s.

💡

Prevention & Solutions

How Can We Prevent This in Guinea?

📍 The Situation

Guinea has made modest progress in maternal mortality reduction over the past decade but remains in the top ten globally. Barriers to care are cultural as well as infrastructural — many women prefer home delivery and are reluctant to attend antenatal clinics staffed by male providers. Female community health workers play a critical bridging role.

🔬 How Ultrasound Helps

In Guinea's cultural context, the most impactful deployment of POCUS is through female community health workers conducting home-based antenatal visits. A small, handheld device allows these workers to offer something concrete — a view of the baby, confirmation of position, heartbeat visualization — that builds trust and engagement with the healthcare system while simultaneously providing clinical screening.

🎓 The Training Gap

Guinea has an active community health worker program but POCUS training has not yet been integrated. GUSI's online and workshop-based training is adaptable to this cadre with appropriate supervision structures.

What a trained provider can detect with a portable ultrasound device

🩸Placenta previa

🔄Malpresentation

👥Twin pregnancy

📉Fetal growth restriction

⚡Pre-eclampsia markers

🫁Childhood pneumonia

💉Internal bleeding

🧠Hydrocephalus

🧮

Interactive Model

POCUS Impact Calculator — Guinea

Model based on: 600 scans/provider/year · 15% high-risk detection rate · 47% mortality reduction for detected cases (Swanson et al. 2014 · WHO POCUS in LMICs review)

Number of POCUS-trained providers deployed in Guinea50

1 provider250500 providers

Scans per Year

30,000

pregnant women screened

High-Risk Detected

4,500

flagged for referral / intervention

Maternal Deaths Prevented

37

mothers saved per year

Newborn Deaths Prevented

64

babies saved per year

Total Lives Saved Per Year

101deaths prevented

2.0

lives per provider

$245

est. cost per life saved

$24,750

total training investment

* This calculator uses a conservative evidence-based model. Actual impact varies by deployment context, provider experience, and health system capacity. Training cost based on GUSI OB POCUS Essentials (~$495/provider). Mortality reduction from peer-reviewed POCUS implementation studies in low-resource settings.

�

Technology & Education

A Practical Plan to Bring POCUS to Guinea

🗺️ Deployment Roadmap for Guinea

Baseline assessment — map existing facilities, referral pathways, blood supply, and available midwives, nurses, and physicians who could be trained.
Provider training — enrol local champions in GUSI's OB POCUS Essentials + Pediatric POCUS courses. Certify a core group to train others.
Device procurement — select appropriate portable handheld devices based on power infrastructure, connectivity, and budget (see brands below).
Protocols & referral integration — define what to scan, what findings trigger referral, and how to document scans at the point of care.
Quality assurance — regular image review sessions, outcomes tracking, and refresher training to maintain competency.

📡 Recommended Portable Ultrasound Devices

🦋 Butterfly iQ+

Website →

Single-probe whole-body device covering OB, cardiac, lung, and FAST exams. App-based platform with built-in AI guidance. Designed for low-resource environments — charges via USB and works with any smartphone.

🔵 Philips Lumify

Website →

App-based probe that plugs into Android phones. Multiple transducer heads available for OB and point-of-care use. Widely used in GUSI-supported training programs globally.

🟢 GE Vscan Air

Website →

Wireless, pocket-sized dual-probe handheld. Streams live images to a smartphone app. Excellent battery life — purpose-built for rapid bedside OB and FAST-style assessments.

🔷 Clarius HD3

Website →

High-resolution wireless handheld. Multiple probe configurations available. Strong image quality in a compact form factor — suitable for OB, lung, and neonatal scanning.

Global Ultrasound Institute · GUSI

The training that closes the gap — built for providers in settings like Guinea

GUSI trains physicians, nurses, midwives, and community health workers in Point-of-Care Ultrasound. Courses are designed from the ground up for providers in resource-limited settings — short, practical, competency-based, and available online or in person. Every course maps directly to the conditions killing mothers and babies during childbirth.