The former French colonies of West Africa have undergone profound and often tumultuous changes in the twentieth century. Perhaps nowhere have these been more drastic than in the Republic of Guinea, which made a “clean break” with France in 1958 and subsequently tilted towards the USSR during the Cold War. These distinct eras in Guinean social and economic evolution have often been reflected in the development of a Guinean national research institute called the Guinean Institute for Research and Applied Biology (French acronym: IRBAG). Founded as one of many Pasteur Institutes in 1923, the center prospered in the biological and health sciences until Guinean independence and French withdrawal left it suddenly without direction or financial support. Shortly after independence the institute was rejuvenated with the aid of the Soviets, only to again be abandoned after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. During each period Guinean researchers have developed expertise and productivity in the biosciences, only to see the fruits of their efforts all but crumble with the departure of each foreign power. Since 1996 the center has once again profited by a liaison with a foreign collaborator, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States. Can this cycle be broken? The history and achievements of IRBAG will be discussed in relation to its colonial background and in the broader context of health science research development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Learning Objectives: 1. Discuss the role of colonialism in public health in Guinea 2. Identify patterns of colonialism in the history of international public health research in Guinea 3. Discuss ways to break the cycle of colonialism
Keywords: International Health, Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.