2025-03-16-世界银行-几内亚比绍人力资本审查（英）_74页_10mb

Summary of Guinea-Bissau Human Capital Review

Core Content

This report provides an in-depth analysis of human capital development in Guinea-Bissau, focusing on health, education, and social protection across the life cycle. It uses the Human Capital Index (HCI) to evaluate the country's progress and challenges in these areas, highlighting the importance of human capital in driving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

The report emphasizes the life-cycle approach, which considers human capital accumulation, utilization, and protection at different stages of life. It outlines key indicators and findings related to each stage, from early childhood to adulthood, and identifies the main constraints affecting human capital development.

Main Viewpoints

• Human capital is a central driver of economic growth and poverty reduction, encompassing knowledge, skills, and health.
• The Human Capital Index (HCI) is used to measure the contribution of health and education to the productivity of future workers, and it highlights the irreversible losses in human capital due to poor health and education outcomes.
• Early childhood (ages 0-5) is a critical period for human capital accumulation, where health, nutrition, and early education investments are vital for future productivity.
• School-age children and youth (ages 6-18) face significant challenges in access to education, leading to low completion rates and high repetition, which affect their long-term productivity.
• Adults (ages 19-60+) experience low labor productivity due to high rates of stunting and limited access to quality employment, particularly in the informal sector.
• Fragility, governance, and gender inequality are cross-cutting challenges that hinder human capital development.
• Climate change has a direct impact on health, education, and economic activities, especially in vulnerable communities.

Key Information

Human Capital Accumulation

• Early Childhood (0-5 years):

  • Under-five mortality rate in 2018 was 94.4%.
  • Stunting rates for children under five are 27.7%, with significant regional and socioeconomic disparities.
  • Malnutrition has a direct impact on both child survival and future productivity.
  • Access to quality health care and nutrition is crucial for early development.

• School-age Children and Youth (6-18 years):

  • About 33% of children aged 6-11 have never attended school.
  • Primary school completion rates are low, mainly due to high repetition.
  • Educational disparities exist between urban and rural areas.
  • Girls face additional challenges, with 30% marrying before 18, which negatively impacts school completion rates.

• Adults (19-60+ years):

  • Adult survival rate is only 83%, with women (86%) outperforming men (79%).
  • Maternal mortality rate was 667 per 100,000 live births in 2017, linked to practices such as female genital mutilation.
  • 43% of the working-age population suffered from stunting before the age of five.
  • The labor market is dominated by low-quality, low-wage jobs, with many working in the informal sector.
  • Poverty is widespread, with 21.7% of the population living in extreme poverty as of 2018, and higher rates in rural areas.

Human Development Systems

• Fragility and Governance:

  • Political instability and weak institutions have hindered development efforts.
  • Decision-making is fragmented, and planning and coordination are weak.
  • Lack of human resources and infrastructure exacerbates these challenges.

• Financing for Human Capital:

  • Social protection mechanisms have limited coverage, especially in rural areas.
  • Donor financing is essential for supporting social assistance programs.
  • The formal sector is small, leading to limited contributory social protection.

• Human Resources:

  • There is a need for better training and capacity-building in the health and education sectors.
  • The availability of skilled professionals is low, affecting service delivery quality.

• Data for Informed Decision-Making:

  • Data collection and analysis are critical for understanding and addressing human capital challenges.
  • The use of surveys and data from national and international agencies helps in evaluating the current status.

• Climate Change:

  • Climate change has already begun to affect Guinea-Bissau, with impacts such as sea level rise, temperature increases, and changes in precipitation patterns.
  • These changes threaten food security, clean water, and sanitation, as well as health and education outcomes.

Key Recommendations

1. Improve access to quality health care and enhance the quality of care to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
2. Enhance nutrition for pregnant women and children under five to prevent developmental setbacks.
3. Expand integrated early childhood development programs to increase school readiness.
4. Improve teacher performance and availability of teaching materials to enhance primary education outcomes.
5. Implement income support mechanisms such as cash transfers to vulnerable households, enabling them to invest in health and education and cope with shocks.
6. Promote economic inclusion through training, cash start-up grants, and coaching to support self-employment and off-farm income generation.
7. Reactivate the National Council for Social Protection (CNPS) to improve coordination and planning.
8. Increase local and community participation in service delivery to ensure more inclusive and effective interventions.
9. Establish a national social registry to better target social protection programs.
10. Address cross-cutting constraints such as fragility, governance, gender inequality, and climate change through integrated policies and strategies.

Conclusion

The report underscores the urgent need for coordinated efforts across the health, education, and social protection sectors to improve human capital outcomes in Guinea-Bissau. It highlights the importance of early investments in health and education, the role of social protection in reducing poverty, and the need for systemic reforms to build resilience against future shocks. The findings will inform upcoming World Bank operations and support the country's post-COVID development strategy.