Portuguese Development Assistance and Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health in Guinea-Bissau: Funding Patterns from 2002 to 2018
1
Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisboa, Portugal
2
Hospital Dona Estefânia, HDE, Unidade Local de Saúde de São José, Lisboa, Portugal
3
NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisboa, Portugal
4
Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, UNICENTRO, Paraná, Brazil
5
Instituto Nacional de Saúde, INS, Ministério da Saúde, MISAU, Maputo, Mozambique
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3608
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Over the past years, Portuguese cooperation with Guinea-Bissau has been particularly relevant, especially in the health sector, contributing to strengthening institutional capacities and improving access to and quality of services for the population. This study aimed to analyze trends in Portuguese funding for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH) in Guinea-Bissau.
METHODS:
To estimate disbursements for RMNCH in Guinea-Bissau from 2002 to 2018, funding information reported in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Creditor Reporting System was compiled, and the Muskoka2 methodology was applied. Estimates were analyzed using SPSS (version 28.0) and Excel (version 16.0).
RESULTS:
Between 2002 and 2018, Portugal allocated 215.6 million dollars in Official Development Assistance to Guinea-Bissau, of which 22.4 million (10.4%) was directed to RMNCH. Most of this funding (72.4%) was allocated to medical evacuations to Portugal, highlighting a strong external dependence for specialized care. In the domain of reproductive health, there was a systematic absence of investment in family planning and human resource development for reproductive health throughout the analyzed period. Only 15% of resources were invested in reproductive health care, health workforce development, and infectious disease control. Other structural areas, particularly health system strengthening, received minimal funding.
CONCLUSIONS:
Portugal played a crucial role in supporting RMNCH in Guinea-Bissau, with a strong focus on patient evacuation. This high dependence compromises the autonomy and resilience of the Guinean health system. Future initiatives must balance immediate needs with long-term investments in health infrastructure and workforce training to enhance resilience in contexts of crisis and reduced funding. A strategic reorientation of Portuguese support is therefore necessary, emphasizing local capacity building, infrastructure improvement, and integration of technological solutions such as telemedicine.
Over the past years, Portuguese cooperation with Guinea-Bissau has been particularly relevant, especially in the health sector, contributing to strengthening institutional capacities and improving access to and quality of services for the population. This study aimed to analyze trends in Portuguese funding for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH) in Guinea-Bissau.
METHODS:
To estimate disbursements for RMNCH in Guinea-Bissau from 2002 to 2018, funding information reported in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Creditor Reporting System was compiled, and the Muskoka2 methodology was applied. Estimates were analyzed using SPSS (version 28.0) and Excel (version 16.0).
RESULTS:
Between 2002 and 2018, Portugal allocated 215.6 million dollars in Official Development Assistance to Guinea-Bissau, of which 22.4 million (10.4%) was directed to RMNCH. Most of this funding (72.4%) was allocated to medical evacuations to Portugal, highlighting a strong external dependence for specialized care. In the domain of reproductive health, there was a systematic absence of investment in family planning and human resource development for reproductive health throughout the analyzed period. Only 15% of resources were invested in reproductive health care, health workforce development, and infectious disease control. Other structural areas, particularly health system strengthening, received minimal funding.
CONCLUSIONS:
Portugal played a crucial role in supporting RMNCH in Guinea-Bissau, with a strong focus on patient evacuation. This high dependence compromises the autonomy and resilience of the Guinean health system. Future initiatives must balance immediate needs with long-term investments in health infrastructure and workforce training to enhance resilience in contexts of crisis and reduced funding. A strategic reorientation of Portuguese support is therefore necessary, emphasizing local capacity building, infrastructure improvement, and integration of technological solutions such as telemedicine.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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