In 2015, CDC opened a country office in Conakry to help Guinea develop and sustain capacities to prevent, rapidly detect and effectively respond to public health threats such as Ebola. Among the goals of the collaboration are development of a robust and effective surveillance response system with strong laboratory capabilities for rapid testing and diagnosis of infectious diseases and safe burial of identified cases. Priorities center on building and sustaining the government’s capacity to prevent and reduce the likelihood of outbreaks, to save lives through early detection of health threats, and to effectively respond to biological threats.

Since March 2014, Guinea has been part of combatting the largest and most complex outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in history. The epidemic started in Guinea and spread to other West African countries. With more than 250,000 cases, it is the largest Ebola epidemic in history and has caused more than ten times as many Ebola cases than the combined total of all previously reported Ebola outbreaks.

As of July 19th, 2015, Guinea has had 3322 total laboratory confirmed cases and 2512 total deaths.CDC has deployed hundreds of staff to combat Ebola in Guinea. CDC provides technical advice, operational assistance, and strengthens the health care system in the areas of epidemiological surveillance, tracing contacts, data management, infection prevention and control, laboratory capacity building and quality insurance, protecting borders, emergency management, and health promotion and communication.

To cover staffing needs for the response in Guinea, CDC partners with the Public Health Agency of Canada and FETP medical epidemiologists of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CDC provides technical assistance to Guinea to support polio eradication, measles elimination, and to strengthen routine infant immunization programs. The focus of CDC-supported polio eradication activities is to increase the immunity of the population through immunization campaigns, to strengthen surveillance, to prevent re-importation of wild poliovirus, and to minimize the consequences of further international spread of virus into West Africa. CDC has deployed 13 public health professionals to work in Guinea on immunization activities through the Stop the Transmission of Polio program since the program began in 1999: 1 communications staff and 12 field assignees.

CDC is working with Guinea to improve their ability to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats.  This work helps meet the U.S. commitment to assist at least 31 countries in reaching the targets outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda. CDC’s extensive global health presence and experience are critical to achieving these targets.

Travel:

• U.S. Department of State International Travel Information: Guinea
• Health Information for Travelers to Guinea

General:

• US Embassy to Guinea
• CIA Factbook: Guinea
• Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Health

Diseases:

Infectious Diseases

• Update: Dengue in Tropical and Subtropical Regions
• Meningococcal Disease and Travel to Africa

Yellow Fever and Malaria

• Yellow Fever and Malaria: Guinea
• Areas with Risk of Yellow Fever Virus Transmission in Africa
• Choosing a Drug to Prevent Malaria
• Malaria and Travelers
• Malaria Worldwide
• Strengthening Capability for Malaria Research in Africa

Influenza (Flu)

• International program: WHO African Region (AFR)
• International Influenza
• Influenza Division International Program