A case study of the emerging social work sector in Guinea, West Africa

A coastal country in West Africa, Guinea, is home to 13 million people and ranks 175 out of 189 countries on the UN's Human Development Index. While the majority of West African nations have a recognized social work sector, Guinea has only a small number of trained social workers. In response to the Ebola epidemic, there is increased governmental interest in developing a sector of university-educated social workers to address the complex social issues the country faces. Using data gathered through a Fulbright research grant, this case study communicates the most recent developments in professionalizing social work in Guinea and considers them through a framework of transmission, indigenization, and authentication. This includes the redevelopment of a tertiary level social work training program, new national policy to employ social workers in the public service, and the expansion of professional social work organizations to support the creation of a professional social work sector.