Publisher's Synopsis
In 2014 three West African countries were hit by the largest epidemic on record of the deadly Ebola virus. In response to an international call for help, Cuba's revolutionary socialist government provided what was needed most-and what no other country even tried to deliver. In a matter of weeks, more than 250 volunteer Cuban doctors, nurses, technicians, and public health specialists were on the ground providing hands-on care to thousands of desperately ill human beings and their traumatized families and communities. By mid-2015 the Ebola epidemic in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea had been virtually eradicated. The discipline, courage, sense of humor, and pride of these Cuban volunteers rings throughout the firsthand accounts recorded here. Their actions showed the world the kind of men and women only a deep-going socialist revolution can produce. "An inherently interesting read, especially in this current era of a Covid-19 pandemic and the Trump administrations dismal record with respect to it, "Red Zone: Cuba and the Battle Against Ebola in West Africa" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library collections." -Midwest Book Review "Red Zone provides a distinctively Cuban perspective on the West African Ebola epidemic, informed by Cuba's special relationship to the African continent and specialization in international medical missions." -African Studies Quarterly "Just as the Cuban combatants in Angola set an example that can never be erased, the heroic actions of Cuba's army of white coats will occupy a place of honor." -Fidel Castro, October 2014 "The lessons of cooperation and determination presented in this book can be used in future pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world.…masterfully distills the medical experiences, activities, and cooperation between the health workers from diverse countries, with Cuba as the focus." -African Studies Review
