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Contribution of Volunteerism to the Fight against Epidemics in the ECOWAS Region

The fight against any pandemic requires the participation of many people and goes beyond the use of health personnel alone. Indeed, in the face of crises in general and health crises in particular, such as epidemics, societies must build their own solutions. Volunteering is one of the key ways to include all citizens in the fight against pandemics because volunteering is part of the social fabric of all societies. One of the most recent examples of the contribution of volunteerism to health problems is the Global Initiative for polio eradication in the year 2000. Ten million people volunteered to support the vaccination of 550 million children. The vast majority were citizens who felt concerned about the well-being of the children and therefore volunteered in their own communities. They gave their time to ensure that the children showed up at the vaccination sites, that they were properly documented and received the oral vaccine. The total value of the support provided by the volunteers has been estimated at $10 billion, well beyond the reach of governments or international and national organisations. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated the importance of the role of volunteerism in the fight against this pandemic. In a series of publications, we will show you the contribution of volunteers in the fight against epidemics.