Lassa Fever: WAHO Expands Coalition For Vaccine Access

 

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has announced a major expansion of the Lassa Fever Coalition, welcoming 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.

The announcement was made recently during the annual ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers Meeting, marking a significant step forward for the Coalition, which is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Oslo/Bobo-dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director
Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Health, Alaba Balogun, on Tuesday, 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.

Ministers of Health from Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone — countries most affected by Lassa fever — are core members of the coalition.

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“The expansion of the Lassa Fever Coalition is not just a strategic step, it is a powerful affirmation of what is possible when African nations rise together in common cause,” the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Chair of the ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate was quoted as saying.

Pate said that the new partnerships reflected a deeper regional shift toward health sovereignty.

“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,” he said.

WAHO’s Director General, Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël C. Aissi, emphasised 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,” Aissi said.

The Managing Director of Corona Management Systems and Coalition Secretariat spokesperson, Dr. Chijioke Kaduru, said the group was 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,” Kaduru added.

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.

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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.

Recognising the disease’s public health threat, the World Health Organisation has placed Lassa fever on its priority list for urgent research and development.

Highlighting the critical role of the coalition’s expanded secretariat in turning vaccine research into reality, the CEPI CEO, Dr. Richard Hatchett, said, “Their regional expertise is vital to creating an environment where vaccine development and access strategies can thrive.”

According to the statement, the new secretariat will be headquartered in Nigeria, with teams also deployed in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Benin.