Guinea’s Ministry of Labor and Civil Service is intensifying its campaign to raise awareness of the National Occupational Health and Safety Policy (PNSST), highlighting its importance for the country’s social and economic development.
On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, an awareness session was held in the commune of Dixinn, bringing together employers, workers, and civil society representatives to promote understanding of the policy and its practical applications.
The PNSST, adopted in December 2024, is described by Mr. Alhouseyni Yansané, National Director of the National Occupational Health Service (SNST), as a “collective compass” for all stakeholders. “It defines the strategic directions, shared responsibilities, and prevention mechanisms that must guide all stakeholders,” he explained.
Mr. Yansané stressed the critical role of employers as “guarantors of safety in companies” and of civil society as “a relay for awareness, advocacy, and citizen monitoring.” The policy aims to prevent workplace accidents and occupational diseases while safeguarding the quality of the working environment across all sectors. Its objectives align with Guinea’s broader national strategy, Simandou 2040, which seeks sustainable development and economic emergence.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Labor and Civil Service, Aboubacar Kourouma, outlined the government’s vision.
“This vision reflects the government’s ambition to make occupational safety and health a pillar of national development by promoting a culture of prevention, shared responsibility, and compliance with international standards,” he said.
The policy sets clear goals: reduce workplace accidents, improve workers’ living conditions—including those in the informal economy—and enhance business productivity.
Reforms are already underway, including strengthening the legal framework, creating dedicated structures, and developing a national list of compensable occupational diseases.
Despite optimism, trade union representative Tamba Albert Bourouno urged concrete action. He warned that the PNSST risks remaining “on the shelf” without binding implementing regulations.
Highlighting precarious conditions faced by many Guinean workers, he added, “In our hospitals, young people are victims of work accidents, but they are not covered by the law,” calling for both workers and their representatives to ensure the policy is enforced in practice.
The Ministry’s awareness campaign represents a critical step in translating national policy into tangible improvements in workplace safety and workers’ well-being across Guinea.
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