WAHO Convenes 2nd Lassa Fever Conference in Abidjan Sep 22-26

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO), in collaboration with key regional and global health partners, will host the 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference (LIC) to strengthen regional health security from September 22–26, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever conference seeks to shape a coordinated regional response to Lassa fever, leveraging scientific advancements, cross-border cooperation, and sustainable investments without further straining national health systems.

Themed: “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases,” the conference seeks to enhance preparedness, regional coordination, and research capacity for tackling Lassa fever, a disease endemic to West Africa.

A press statement by WAHO highlights the persistent health and economic burden of Lassa fever, which continues to resurface despite efforts to contain its outbreak, with Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea among the most affected countries. The disease exposes weaknesses of regional health systems, underscoring the urgent need for long-term solutions beyond emergency response.

“Lassa fever remains a persistent threat to our populations, severely impacting health and economic stability across West Africa. The virus is responsible for an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 infections each year, resulting in around 5,000 deaths. With climate change and urbanization increasing the number of people at risk, now is the time to strengthen collaboration, research, and disease control strategies,” Dr. Melchior Athanase Aïssi, WAHO’s Director General was quoted to have said.

The upcoming conference builds on commitments made during the first Lassa conference hosted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja in 2019 and follows recent regional efforts to combat the disease. In 2024, WAHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) formalized a partnership to drive vaccine research and access to Lassa fever vaccines across ECOWAS Member States. The January 2025 launch of Lassa Coalition Governing Entity (LGE), further solidified cross-border cooperation in disease vaccine development.

Dr. Katrin Ramsauer, Lassa Disease Programme Lead at CEPI, emphasized the conference’s role in shaping future Lassa research priorities. “This is a critical moment for scientists, policymakers, and public health experts to come together under WAHO’s leadership to map out the next phase of Lassa fever research. Their discussions will directly influence our ability to prevent and respond to future outbreaks, which are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change and shifting population dynamics.”

According to the press release, the 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference will convene researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to discuss innovative financing mechanisms, cross-border coordination, and vaccine research progress. The conference will also explore community-based surveillance, outbreak preparedness strategies, and the latest epidemiological trends.

Discussions at the Abidjan conference will focus on lessons from other emerging infectious diseases, such as Mpox, to enhance West Africa’s capacity to respond to public health threats. WAHO’s statement stresses the importance of regional cooperation, data sharing, and sustained investments in Lassa prevention. “No single country can tackle Lassa fever alone. A coordinated, cross-border approach is essential to improving detection, response speed, and long-term disease control efforts,” the press release said.