KANKAN, GUINEA — On April 8, 2026, the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of Guinea, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and in partnership with Integrate Health, officially launched Phase II of expanding vaccination coverage for zero-dose children and pregnant women in the Kouroussa district. The partnership leverages the Integrated Primary Care Program, implemented by Integrate Health in close collaboration with the Government of Guinea, to expand primary care access in rural communities. The Phase II launch ceremony brought together Guinean government and health officials, community members and leaders, and technical and financial partners to celebrate the renewed partnership and mark a significant milestone in the shared effort to expand access to primary healthcare across the Kankan region.
Phase I: A foundation for scale
Integrate Health’s Integrated Primary Care Program includes four key elements: trained, equipped, supervised, and salaried Community Relays, clinical mentorship, infrastructure and supply chain improvements, and the elimination of user fees to reach more women and children under five with life-saving primary care. Carried out in the Kouroussa health district in Guinea’s Kankan region from December 2023 to December 2025, Phase I leveraged the Integrated Primary Care Program to significantly expand vaccination coverage for zero-dose children and pregnant women in Kouroussa. Phase I also included the launch of Kendeya, a digital app designed for Community Relays and Community Health Workers that offers decision-making support, stores patient records, and tracks follow-up reminders.
The results were substantial. Over the two-year period, Integrate Health vaccinated 686 zero-dose children, 4,037 under-vaccinated children and 11,732 pregnant women. Integrate Health’s Guinea Country Director, Aboubacar Diakite, highlighted the systems in place that enabled this success, “These results are the product of a concrete and proven approach—one built on bringing health services closer to communities, strengthening the capacity of health workers, improving infrastructure and supply chains, and eliminating financial barriers to care. They reflect, above all, the power of partnership between health authorities, communities, and all actors involved.”
Phase II: Consolidating gains, expanding impact
Phase II goals fully align with the Government of Guinea’s vision of ensuring equitable access to quality primary healthcare for all and directly supports the country’s Universal Health Coverage objectives. A renewed partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Phase II began in January 2026 and is planned through 2030, expanding the Integrated Primary Care Program to additional districts with a focus on family planning and maternal health improvements, expansion of the Kendeya digital app to improve health worker efficiency, and supporting the Government of Guinea’s roll out of the new malaria vaccine.
As malaria remains one of Guinea’s most pressing public health challenges, disproportionately affecting children and pregnant women, this expansion is a critical step forward in achieving robust primary care in rural areas of the country.
Impact starts and ends with partnership
Speaking at the launch ceremony, CEO Emily Bensen underscored that, “no single organization alone can address all the public health challenges local communities face.” It’s the strength of partnership between government, civil society, and communities that produce lasting impact.” Integrate Health’s role, she emphasized, is to support—not supplant—the local and national government leadership, “We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the national priorities defined by the government.” Kankan governor Col. Aly Badara Camara agreed, underlining how “public health is a shared responsibility that requires engagement, coordination, and perseverance.”
Aboubacar Diakite called on all partners to keep the momentum going, strengthen collaboration with health districts, and keep communities at the center of implementation. He applauded frontline health workers like Community Health Workers and Community Relays, and local leaders whose dedication is essential to this work.
Integrate Health remains committed to advancing health equity, strengthening community health systems, and ensuring that every gain in health outcomes reaches the populations who need it most. Phase I laid the foundation for increased scale and impact in Phase II. It not simply a second phase, but a collective step towards making accessible, affordable healthcare possible for all families living in Guinea’s hardest-to-reach communities.
The phase II of this project was facilitated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and accepted and funded by Latter-day Saint Charities Australia.