Lassa Fever - News Agency Of Nigeria

Ismail Abdulaziz
Sep, Thu, 2025

Beyond Borders: Nigeria calls for ECOWAS health pact against Lassa Fever

By Abujah Racheal

Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called for a stronger ECOWAS health pact to address Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases threatening the region.

Dr Jide Idris, Director-General of the NCDC, made the call on Thursday in Abidjan at a high-level panel on community involvement during the 2nd Lassa Fever International Conference, convened by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference has the theme “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases”.

The conference seeks to reaffirm regional commitment, mobilise political will, and drive collective action against viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs).

Idris said that cross-border surveillance and coordinated response mechanisms were essential to tackle Lassa fever, which is endemic in several West African countries.

“Viruses do not respect borders. Our surveillance and our responses must therefore also transcend borders.

“We need an ECOWAS health pact that guarantees data sharing, joint preparedness, and pooled resources to fight these threats,” he said.

He emphasised that community engagement remained the backbone of epidemic preparedness, adding that outbreaks often escalate into crises not because of the pathogen alone, but due to human factors such as trust, culture, and behaviour.

He highlighted lessons from Nigeria’s experience with Ebola, COVID-19, and Lassa fever outbreaks, stressing that communities were not the “last mile” but the first line of defence in epidemic response.

According to him, early detection, risk communication, and culturally sensitive interventions are critical to reducing mortality and preventing large-scale transmission.

He also urged member states to support research and development for vaccines and diagnostics, invest in One Health approaches linking human, animal and environmental health, and provide dedicated funding for community-led preparedness initiatives.

NAN recalls that WAHO said the Abidjan gathering would provide a platform for health ministers, scientists, and development partners to chart new strategies to address Lassa fever, which continues to cause thousands of deaths across the region annually.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

ECOWAS must match words with action to defeat Lassa Fever – Tomori

Lydia Beshel
Sep, Tue, 2025

Health

ECOWAS must match words with action to defeat Lassa Fever – Tomori

ECOWAS

By Racheal Abujah

A renowned virologist, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, has called on West African governments to take concrete steps to defeat Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic disease that continues to ravage the region.

Tomori, a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, made the call in his keynote address at the 2nd International Lassa Fever Conference on Monday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

According to him, although progress has been made since the first conference in 2019, many of the challenges identified then still persist.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference is “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases”.

It seeks to reaffirm regional commitment, mobilise political will, and drive collective action against Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases.

Tomori said that Lassa fever still recorded an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 cases annually, with about 5,000 deaths, mostly in West Africa, despite decades of research and intervention efforts.

“ECOWAS must match words with action. Without genuine political will and government ownership, we will continue to recycle the same promises and hold meetings without meaningful action,” he said.

Highlighting the achievements since 2019, he cited the establishment of five major laboratories capable of testing epidemic-prone diseases and conducting genomic sequencing.

The virologist also cited the expansion of field epidemiology training programmes and the deployment of community-level surveillance platforms across ministries.

He,however, complained that several gaps remained, including the absence of a licensed vaccine, uneven access to diagnostics, donor-dependent funding, weak cross-border coordination, and persistent stigma that delays patients from seeking care.

He urged ECOWAS member states to invest more resources, strengthen regional surveillance systems and accelerate vaccine research and community-led interventions.

“The 2025 conference is a wake-up call for us to take bold and coordinated steps.

“We cannot continue to rely on donors while our people remain at risk of repeated outbreaks,” he said.

NAN reports that the four-day meeting is convened by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) in collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Health.

It brings together scientists, policymakers, and development partners to review progress and chart the way forward in the fight against Lassa fever. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

ECOWAS, WAHO strengthen regional fight against lassa fever, epidemics

Ismail Abdulaziz
Sep, Tue, 2025

Features

ECOWAS, WAHO strengthen regional fight against lassa fever, epidemics

News Analysis By Ismail Abdulaziz, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, is this week hosting a gathering that could shape the future of West Africa’s health security.

The 2025 ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference (ELFIC) brings together scientists, policymakers, donors, and community leaders in a united front against epidemics that continue to strain the region’s fragile health systems.

The four-day forum is designed to strengthen vaccine acceptance and promote innovations in prevention and control.

Organised by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), a specialised agency of ECOWAS, and its partners, the event is holding under the theme: “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa and Emerging Infectious Diseases”.

At its core, the Abidjan conference aims to deepen cross-border preparedness, reinforce collaboration, and mobilise sustainable political commitment and financing to protect West Africa from present and future outbreaks.

This second edition follows the maiden ELFIC in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2019, which set the tone for regional cooperation against Lassa fever.

Since then, West Africa has endured hard lessons from Ebola, COVID-19, and Mpox.

Each of these crises underscored a simple truth: “No country can fight an epidemic alone”.

WAHO explained in its conference notes that, “early detection saves lives, and delays in access to vaccines and treatments cost communities dearly.

“Yet Lassa fever remains a persistent threat, causing seasonal outbreaks with limited tools for prevention and care.

“This conference matters because it turns those lessons into action; strengthening regional collaboration, advancing medical countermeasures, and ensuring West Africa is better prepared for future epidemics”.

Lassa fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic illness first identified in Nigeria in 1969, has become endemic in West Africa.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates between 100,000 and 300,000 infections annually, with about 5,000 deaths.

Nigeria alone has reported over 8,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,500 deaths between 2018 and 2024, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea also continue to face recurring outbreaks, while Ghana recorded its first-ever confirmed cases in 2022, signalling the virus’s potential spread beyond traditional hotspots.

Benin, Togo, and Mali have likewise documented sporadic outbreaks, often linked to porous borders and regional trade.

Imported cases in the United Kingdom and Germany further highlight the global implications of the disease.

The zoonotic nature of Lassa fever- spread through contact with infected multimammate rats and through human-to-human transmission in healthcare settings, makes it difficult to control without robust surveillance and rapid response systems.

Although promising vaccine candidates are now in late-stage trials, vaccine acceptance remains a critical obstacle.

WHO stresses that vaccines are among the most effective tools to protect communities, yet hesitancy persists across Africa.

Conference panellists identified mistrust, inadequate infrastructure, and misinformation; especially spread on social media, as major barriers.

They argued that vaccination campaigns often fail to adequately engage communities, leaving people suspicious of health workers who arrive during emergencies.

“During times of vaccinations, proper enlightenment is not carried out on the target population to foster significance and necessity for usage,” one panellist observed.

“This makes it easy for citizens to see the programme as a conspiracy”.

Historical incidents, such as resistance linked to the Pfizer meningitis trial in Kano State, Nigeria, continue to cast long shadows.

The absence of functional healthcare facilities in many endemic communities deepens suspicion, as residents question why interventions arrive sporadically rather than as part of sustained health services.

To address these challenges, experts at the conference proposed stronger collaborations with religious and community leaders, social media influencers, and youth ambassadors.

They stressed the importance of deploying knowledgeable health workers who can build trust and demonstrate respect for local contexts.

Speakers emphasised that West Africa cannot afford to repeat past mistakes.

Ebola, which killed more than 11,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016, exposed fragile health systems and the dangers of delayed response.

COVID-19, while global in scale, also highlighted stark inequities in vaccine access, with African countries receiving supplies months later than richer nations.

Dr Melchior Athanase J. C. Aïssi, Director General of WAHO, warned: “This conference is a call to action to confront the persistent challenges associated with Lassa fever by advancing research, diagnostics, and community-led solutions, while enhancing preparedness and response strategies against zoonotic diseases”.

Similarly, the Mpox outbreak in 2022–23 reminded the region that emerging infectious diseases do not respect borders.

Cross-border collaboration, therefore, is not an option but a necessity.

For many participants, the Abidjan conference is more than another meeting.

They described ELFIC 2025 as a “critical step forward, from raising awareness to driving concrete commitments, partnerships, and innovations that will safeguard West Africa against current and future epidemic threats”.

The discussions have gone beyond technical research to focus on political will and sustainable financing.

Organisers hope to secure commitments from member states to invest more in diagnostics, vaccines, and community-led preparedness systems.

Crucially, they want to ensure that the gains from ELFIC are translated into real change at national and community levels.

Experts agree that Lassa fever’s persistence is not merely a medical challenge but also a test of governance, equity, and resilience.

With fragile health systems and limited fiscal space, West African countries often struggle to maintain surveillance and invest in research.

That is why WAHO and ECOWAS are pushing for stronger political commitment and long-term financing models.

Six years after the Abuja conference, the stakes are higher.

The world has changed, reshaped by global health crises that exposed vulnerabilities and tested systems.

In Abidjan, West Africa is signalling its determination not to be caught unprepared again.

What began as a scientific discussion in 2019 has now evolved into a broader movement; linking science, policy, and community action under a shared vision of resilience.

For WAHO and its partners, the task ahead is clear: turn lessons into action, embrace medical innovations, and above all, build trust between governments and the people they serve. (NAN)

Mid-year: C’River board reports 1 lassa fever death

Lydia Beshel
Aug, Mon, 2025

Health

Mid-year: C’River board reports 1 lassa fever death

Fever

By Ehigimetor Igbaugba

The Cross River Health Management Board has said that one person died of lassa fever in the state between January and July.

The Chief Epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Monday.

Ekpeyong said that one person died out of the two confirmed cases that were recorded during the period.

She further said that there were 23 suspected cases in the state from Obubra and Abi Local Government Areas.

“This figure is lower that the 90 suspected cases that were recorded in 2024.

“In 2024, we had no fewer than 90 suspected cases and eight deaths in the state,” she said.

Ekpeyong said that although the board was not envisaging any surge in cases during the remaining part of the year, it had already made plans for emergency responses.

She further said that the board was carrying out mass sensitisation campaigns across the state to equip the people with prevention techniques.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Azubuike Okeh

Lydia Beshel
Mar, Mon, 2025

Health

NCDC confirms new Lassa fever case, calls for enhanced surveillance

Lassa Fever

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a new case of Lassa fever in a 31-year-old physician who had recently travelled to the United Kingdom.

NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Idris stated that the patient, who was diagnosed in Ondo State, unfortunately succumbed to the disease before the test results confirming the infection were available.

Idris raised an alert on the situation, stressing the need for heightened surveillance and precautionary measures.

He emphasised that the latest case highlighted the persistent threat of Lassa fever in Nigeria and the potential for international transmission.

According to the NCDC’s latest epidemiological report, Nigeria has recorded 2,728 suspected cases and 535 confirmed cases of Lassa fever in 2025, with 98 deaths across 14 states.

“The current case fatality rate stands at 18.3 per cent, indicating the severity of the disease.

“Five states, Ondo 31 per cent, Bauchi 24 per cent, Edo 17 per cent, Taraba 16 per cent, and Ebonyi 3 per cent account for 91 per cent of all confirmed cases.

“The most affected local government areas include Owo, Akure South, Etsako West, Kirfi, Akoko South-West, Bali, Esan North-East, Bauchi, Toro, and Jalingo.”

He said that the confirmed case involved the Nigerian physician, who travelled to the UK on Feb. 19, 2025, and returned on Feb. 27, 2025.

“He was admitted to a private health facility in Ondo State with symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever.

“Samples were taken on Feb. 28, 2025, but the patient passed away on March 1, 2025, before test results were confirmed.

“The NCDC confirmed the diagnosis of Lassa fever on March 4, 2025.

“Investigation revealed that the deceased had visited his fiancée in Edo State before his UK trip and had also met with family and friends.

“Contact tracing efforts have since been launched in both Nigeria and the UK to curb further spread of the disease.”

In response to the case, the NCDC, in collaboration with the Ondo State Ministry of Health, had intensified contact tracing, surveillance, and infection control measures.

“The agency is identifying and monitoring all potential contacts of the deceased, including family members, healthcare workers, and co-passengers on flights.

“Port Health Services are also enhancing surveillance at entry points, particularly airports, while collaboration with UK health authorities ensures cross-border tracking of potential exposures.”

Idris reiterated public health guidelines to prevent further outbreaks, urging Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, control rodent populations, and seek early medical intervention for suspected cases.

He emphasised that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease primarily spread through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents.

“Human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings with inadequate infection prevention and control measures.

“The NCDC continues to monitor disease patterns and deploy rapid response teams to affected areas, with specialised treatment centres providing care for severe cases.

“Public awareness campaigns are ongoing, educating communities on rodent control, food safety, and early symptom reporting.

“In spite of these efforts, Lassa fever remains a significant public health challenge, with high mortality rates and the potential for international spread, as demonstrated by this recent case.” (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

West Africa steps up lassa fever vaccine efforts

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jan, Thu, 2025

Health

West Africa steps up lassa fever vaccine efforts

By Abujah Racheal

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO), in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and national task forces from five countries met on Thursday to advance efforts in developing a Lassa fever vaccine.

The inaugural meeting and launch of the Lassa Fever Coalition Governing Entity (LFGE), hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja, marked a significant step toward addressing the recurring threat of Lassa fever in the region.

The coalition’s goal is to develop, equitably distribute, and deploy an effective Lassa fever vaccine, while also addressing immediate needs such as public awareness campaigns, equipping health workers, and ensuring access to life-saving interventions for vulnerable populations.

Dr Melchior Aissi, Director General of WAHO, described Lassa fever as a zoonotic disease that had plagued West Africa for over 50 years, causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among health workers.

“In spite of therapeutic interventions, the absence of a preventive vaccine has made the disease a recurring challenge,” he said.

Aissi stressed the importance of fostering scientific collaboration, raising awareness among political leaders, and ensuring vaccine affordability and accessibility.

He also lauded the support of ECOWAS Heads of State and development partners in advancing WAHO’s agenda, which included strengthening health systems, enhancing epidemic preparedness, and promoting investment in research and innovation.

“Efforts are underway to mobilise resources, ensure fair allocation of health products, and build a resilient healthcare workforce capable of addressing both emerging and existing health challenges,” he added.

Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, highlighted significant progress since the Lassa fever vaccine programme began in 2018.

“Nigeria has always been central to these efforts as the epicentre of Lassa fever due to its high number of cases,” he said.

Hatchett revealed that Phase II field trials were now underway in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with earlier trials conducted in Ghana.

He stressed the importance of understanding the epidemiology of Lassa fever across the region to target vaccine trials effectively.

Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, emphasised the coalition’s focus on advancing vaccine development and strengthening public health measures.

He highlighted the need for equity, ensuring that vulnerable groups such as women, children, and health workers benefited from the coalition’s efforts.

“Sustained collaboration among national, regional, and global partners is essential to building inclusive and resilient health systems,” Pate said.

Dr Catherine Cooper, Chief Medical Officer in Liberia, revealed that enhanced surveillance had uncovered an expansion of Lassa fever cases across multiple regions in the country.

She stressed the importance of regional coordination in ensuring a comprehensive approach to vaccine development and survivor care.

In Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Vandi, Deputy Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency, discussed progress in enhancing laboratory capacity for quicker diagnosis of suspected cases.

However, he noted challenges in rural areas, including delays in sample transport and result dissemination.

“Community sensitisation programmes have been pivotal in educating the public about preventive measures, such as proper food storage and sanitation, to reduce exposure to infected rodents,” Vandi said.

Dr Jide Idris, Director-General of the NCDC, emphasised the importance of collaboration with institutions and researchers to stimulate interest and government support for scientific research.

He noted that public health activities were research-based, involving data collection and expert collaboration, which were crucial for finding solutions to health challenges.

He underscored the need for equitable sharing of benefits arising from global scientific efforts, ensuring that all regions, including Africa, have fair access to innovations, technologies, and products.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the coalition represents a united effort to combat Lassa fever in West Africa, combining scientific innovation with a commitment to equitable healthcare delivery.

While challenges remain, the collective efforts of national governments, regional organisations, and international partners offer hope for a healthier and more resilient future for the region.(NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru