West African health ministers have united in a pledge to tackle Lassa fever with renewed joint action and a collaborative commitment to accelerating vaccine development and enhancing regional readiness against the growing health threat posed by the disease.
The commitment was endorsed at the 2nd Lassa Fever International Conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Monday, September 8, 2025, convened by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).
The conference aimed to ensure the disease is controlled to the barest minimum and to reduce the number of deaths recorded in the region.
The ministers, including Professor Benjamin Hounkoatin, Minister for Health for Benin, Dr Jorge Figueiredo, Health Minister for Cabo Verde, and Pierre N’gou Simba, Minister for Health, Public Hygiene, and Universal Health Coverage from Côte d’Ivoire.
Others are Ghana’s Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Public Health from Guinea Bissau, Augusto Gomes, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Nigeria, Dr Muhammed Ali, Minister of Health and Social Welfare from The Gambia, Dr Ahmadou Lamin, Minister of Health for Liberia, Dr. Louise Kpoto, Minister of Health and Social Action for Senegal, Dr Ibrahim Sy, and Minister of Health and Public Hygiene for Togo, Prof Tchin Darré, were determined to make a difference.
The conference, themed “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases,” sought to reaffirm regional commitment, mobilise political will, and drive collective action against Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases.
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. It is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine or feces of infected rodents, or through direct contact with an infected person. The disease is endemic in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
Symptoms of Lassa fever include fever, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, and bleeding. In severe cases, it can cause haemorrhaging, respiratory distress, and even death. Lassa fever affects hundreds of thousands of people in West Africa annually, causing nearly 4,000 deaths and $110 million in productivity losses. Without urgent action, modelling suggests that up to 600 million people could be at risk of infection by 2050 due to climate change and population growth.
The ministers reaffirmed their political commitment to make Lassa fever vaccine readiness a strategic health priority. They pledged to co-finance vaccine development, strengthen laboratory and clinical trial capacity, and enhance regulatory and community engagement systems across the region to support late-stage research.
Despite decades of outbreaks, there is still no licensed vaccine against Lassa fever. However, a promising vaccine candidate is currently undergoing Phase IIa clinical trials in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria.
The vaccine was developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) with funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and partners.
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, described the agreement as a turning point for African-led solutions.
“In Nigeria, through the Health Sector Renewal Initiative, we are investing in laboratories, surveillance, and regulatory readiness, efforts that complement and strengthen regional solidarity. What we commit to today is bigger than one disease; it is a statement that Africa can mobilise its science, align its financing, and contribute decisively to global preparedness,” he said.
He further stated that, if the region hold this course, the legacy will be measured in lives protected and in a continent that helped safeguard the world from the pandemics of tomorrow.
Experts, including Melchior Aissi, Director-General of WAHO, hailed the commitment as a landmark step.
“WAHO is proud to convene and coordinate this landmark commitment. ECOWAS Ministers have agreed not just to endorse a vaccine, but to co-finance it together, showing that West Africa is ready to lead on solutions to Lassa fever and pandemic threats,” said Dr Aissi.
Dr Aissi further indicated that the regional solidarity is “our greatest asset, and WAHO will continue to drive this united approach.”
“The ECOWAS Ministers agreeing not just to endorse a vaccine, but to co-finance it together shows that West Africa is ready to lead on solutions to Lassa fever and pandemic threats.”
Global partners, including CEPI and IAVI, pledged continued technical and financial support to accelerate progress.
CEPI CEO Dr. Richard Hatchett said protection against Lassa fever is now closer than ever, thanks to partnerships with West African leaders.
He emphasized CEPI’s commitment to advancing the first-ever Lassa vaccine and strengthening regional health security.
“CEPI is committed to working in close partnership with West African leaders to bolster regional health security by advancing the licensure of the first-ever Lassa vaccine and strengthening the region’s capabilities to respond to other epidemic or pandemic threats.”
IAVI President and CEO Dr. Mark Feinberg added that the organization welcomes this opportunity to advance its promising Lassa fever vaccine candidate in partnership with West African governments, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, and regional health leaders.
“We are not just one step closer to an affordable and accessible Lassa vaccine; we are building a global health partnership that can provide a new model to advance the development, and to ensure sustainable and affordable supply of vaccines targeting diseases where there is no commercial incentive for private, for-profit companies to invest.”