Learning from the experiences of Red Cross volunteers in Guinea

Red Cross volunteers are at the forefront of the response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. In Guinea, the nation-wide network of Red Cross volunteers was trained and deployed for social mobilization, contact tracing and dead body management at the start of the outbreak, and continues to be a major resource for local and national response efforts. In July 2014 we conducted qualitative research to understand the experiences of volunteers and national staff of the Guinea Red Cross who are involved in Ebola activities, including their engagement with community members, their perceptions of their own safety, and their observations on the effectiveness of community-based control and prevention strategies. Our findings offer insights into the challenges and lessons learned for both the current crisis and future outbreaks.