Regional public health experts and organisers of the ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference 2025 (ELFIC2025), including Prof. Nicaise Ndembi, Dr Pétronille Zengbé, Dr Kwasi Nyarko, and Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, have said African governments must adopt new funding methods to boost Lassa fever research and vaccine development.
They urged the use of innovative financing models that combine government support, private sector investment, and philanthropic contributions to strengthen research and epidemic preparedness.
According to the experts, these funding methods would reduce dependence on external donors, improve outbreak response, create jobs, drive innovation, and ensure long-term vaccine production for Lassa fever and other infectious diseases.
They appealed on Wednesday during a preparatory webinar ahead of the ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference.
The conference will be held from September 8 to 11, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with a focus on West African nations most affected by Lassa fever, including Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Sierra Leone.
The experts said they planned to promote blended financing, allocate part of revenue from agricultural exports such as coffee and cocoa, invest in research infrastructure, and establish inter-epidemic funding to sustain research between outbreaks.
They added that governments, research institutions, and regional bodies must collaborate to develop a stable vaccine research and development system.