The WHO's estimate of life expectancy for a female child born in Guinea-Bissau in 2008 was 49 years, and 47 years for a boy.[1] in 2016 life expectancy had improved to 58 for men and 61 for women.[2]
The prevalence of HIV-infection among the adult population is 1.8%.[3] Only 20% of infected pregnant women receive anti retroviral coverage to prevent transmission to newborns.[4]
Malaria kills more residents; 9% of the population have reported infection,[5] It causes three times as many deaths as AIDS.[6] In 2008, fewer than half of children younger than five slept under antimalaria nets or had access to antimalarial drugs.[7]
Despite lowering rates in surrounding countries, cholera rates were reported in November 2012 to be on the rise, with 1,500 cases reported and nine deaths. A 2008 cholera epidemic in Guinea-Bissau affected 14,222 people and killed 225.[8]
The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births for Guinea Bissau was 1000. This compares with 804.3 in 2008 and 966 in 1990. The under-5 mortality rate, per 1,000 live births, was 195 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under-5 mortality was 24. The number of midwives per 1,000 live births was 3; one out of eighteen pregnant women die as a result of pregnancy.[9] According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 50% of women in Guinea Bissau had undergone female genital mutilation.[10] In 2010, Guinea Bissau had the seventh-highest maternal mortality rate in the world.[11]
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[12] finds that Guinea-Bissau is fulfilling 61.2% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.[13] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Guinea-Bissau achieves 85.8% of what is expected based on its current income.[13] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 70.8% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.[13] Guinea-Bissau falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 27.0% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.[13]
Healthcare
The WHO estimated there were fewer than 5 physicians per 100,000 persons in the country in 2009. Guinea-Bissau has an unusually high ratio of nursing staff to doctors.[14]
^The WHO estimates a 1.8% HIV-infection rate from 2007 data among 15- to 49-year-old Bissau-Guineans – see statistics on page 65 of: "2. Cause-specific mortality and morbidity"(PDF). WHO. 2010. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.. (The section's introduction describes estimation methodology).
^As of 2008[update], only 20% of HIV-infected mothers or sufferers with advanced cases had anti-retroviral drug access, see: "Health service coverage"(PDF). WHO. 2010. p. 91. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.. Coverage in the general population is lower.
^"Selected infectious diseases"(PDF). WHO. 2010. p. 76. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010. – 148,542 reported cases in 2008.
^According to the 2010 WHO report, the latest Malaria mortality rate per 100,000 Bissau-Guineans (180) is substantially greater than that for AIDS (65). ("Cause-specific mortality and morbidity"(PDF). WHO. 2010. p. 64. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.) Among children younger than 5, malaria is nine times more deadly (p. 65).