Lassa Fever: WAHO Seeks to Accelerate Vaccine Access in West Africa

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has kick-started a regionally focused effort to develop, introduce, and ensure equitable access to Lassa fever vaccines within the subregion.

The organization unveiled plans to expand the Lassa Fever Coalition, partnering three prominent regional health organisations.

These include Corona Management Systems, Nigeria Health Watch, and Bloom Public Health as new partners in its mission to fight Lassa fever and fast-track vaccine access across the region.

A statement by Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun said the announcement of the deal was made during the annual ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers Meeting.

According to the statement, deal marked a significant step forward for the Coalition, which is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Oslo / Bobo-dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

It said the newly onboarded partners will support the Coalition’s Secretariat, helping WAHO coordinate a locally led, regionally focused effort to develop, introduce, and ensure equitable access to Lassa fever vaccines.

According to Balogun, Ministers of Health from Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone countries most affected by Lassa fever are core members of the Coalition.

Balogun quoted Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Chair of the ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers, Prof. Mohammad Ali Pate, as having said the expansion of the Lassa Fever coalition, “ is not just a strategic step, but a powerful affirmation of what is possible when African nations rise together in common cause”.

Pate said the new partnerships reflected a deeper regional shift toward health sovereignty, adding, “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are deliberately building resilient systems to anticipate and prevent outbreaks.

“This is more than a Coalition, it is a blueprint for future epidemic preparedness and a model of how solidarity can deliver health security across West Africa and beyond.”

WAHO Director General, Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël. Aissi, emphasized the urgent need for transnational cooperation. “In today’s interconnected world, no single country can address Lassa fever alone. Our new partners bring critical expertise that will accelerate outbreak responses and enhance access to life-saving tools.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Corona Management Systems and Coalition Secretariat spokesperson, Chijioke Kaduru, said: “We are proud to support WAHO in driving a unified regional response. By focusing on coordination, capacity-building and preparedness, we can lay the groundwork for equitable access to Lassa fever vaccines.”

On his part, Dr. Richard Hatchett highlighted the critical role of the Coalition’s expanded Secretariat in turning vaccine research into reality. “Their regional expertise is vital to creating an environment where vaccine development and access strategies can thrive,” he said.

The secretariat of the coalition is to be headquartered in Nigeria, with teams also deployed in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Benin.

Their work will include supporting vaccine research and development, liaising with developers and funders, strengthening scientific capacity for clinical trials, and creating end-to-end vaccine access plans tailored to regional needs.

Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic illness first identified over 50 years ago, continues to affect hundreds of thousands annually.

With unreliable diagnostics and frequent misdiagnosis, especially as malaria, the disease burden remains underestimated. Severe symptoms occur in about 20 percent of cases and can include bleeding, fever, chest pain and long-term complications like hearing loss.

Climate change and population growth are expected to dramatically increase the number of people at risk potentially reaching 600 million by 2050.