Formative Evaluation to Inform Recruitment and Engagement Strategies for emergency activation of blood donors in Nimba County, Liberia

In Nimba County, Liberia, 12 family replacement and paid blood donors (11 men, 1 woman) reported motivations and barriers that shape attitudes toward donor-facing walking blood bank practices.

• Why it matters: Family replacement and paid donors are often activated during emergencies where blood is scarce, but operational best practices for civilian walking blood banks are not well established.
• What they did: Semi-structured interviews in May 2026 with donors who had donated in the last twelve months were analyzed using directed content analysis with the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework.
• The result: Donors cited altruism, prior positive experiences, and helping families as motivations, while distance, pre-transfusion testing concerns, and donor expenses were barriers; they believed outreach at community institutions could recruit new donors.