Three leading West African health partners: Corona Management Systems, Nigeria Health Watch, and Bloom Public Health, have officially joined the Lassa Fever Coalition, an instrumental initiative by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), to advance the fight against the deadly haemorrhagic Lassa Fever and accelerate the development and future equitable introduction of Lassa Fever vaccines across the affected region.

The organisations will work together as new partners to the Coalition's Secretariat supporting WAHO to successfully set up and run the locally-led partnership. Members of the regional Coalition include the Ministers of Health of Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone; the West African countries most affected by the disease.

The news was announced at the 26 th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS held in Praia.

"The expansion of the Lassa Fever Coalition is not just a strategic step-it is a powerfulaffirmation of what is possible when African nations rise together in common cause," said

"I see firsthand the urgency of this moment. Lassa fever has haunted our region for decades but it has also taught us that no country can stand alone. Our most effective defence lies in collective action--rooted in local leadership, guided by science and powered by trust. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and through Nigeria's National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), we are not merely responding to outbreaks--we are deliberately building resilient systems to anticipate and prevent them. The onboarding of new partners to the Coalition reflects a deeper shift: toward a region that takes ownership of its future, values every life, and refuses to let geography determine access to life-saving tools. 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."

"In today's interconnected world, expanding globalisation and increasing population movements across borders significantly heighten the spread of Lassa fever. No single country can address these challenges alone," said Dr. Melchior Athanase Joel C. Aissi, Director General of WAHO. "We are delighted to welcome our new partners to this transnational coalition. Their expertise will strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate outbreak response, increase access to critical resources, and enhance health security across the region, under WAHO's leadership."

Coalition Secretariat spokesperson and Managing Director of Corona Management Systems, Dr Chijioke Kaduru, said: "We are pleased to join this pioneering coalition, under WAHO's leadership to drive a unified regional response to Lassa fever. Our support to WAHO reflects a shared commitment to strengthening locally led solutions that connect science, policy, and communities. Together, we can lay the foundation for equitable access to safe and effective Lassa fever vaccines. Focusing on coordination, capacity-building, and regional preparedness to ensure long-term health security."

Fifty years after its initial discovery, hundreds of thousands of people continue to be affected by Lassa fever annually, with the burden of diseases likely to be vastly underestimated due to gaps in reliable diagnosis and misdiagnosis for other illnesses, like Malaria.

One in five infected typically experience severe symptoms including headache, fever, chest and back pain, and bleeding from body parts which can be fatal. In those that recover, hearing loss is commonly reported post-infection. The potential impact of the disease is set to worsen, with modelling research predicting up to 600 million people could be at risk of Lassa fever infection by 2050 as a result of climate change and population growth.

"Given its risks to public health and recognition on the WHO's list of priority diseases in need of urgent R&D, Lassa fever is one of CEPI's vaccine targets", explains "With extensive experience in Lassa fever strategy development and supporting regional immunisation programmes, the new Coalition Secretariat partners can support WAHO-led efforts to make CEPI's investments in Lassa fever vaccines a reality. Their work will help to build an environment to engage relevant audiences and plan the future rollout of a safe and effective Lassa fever vaccine, while also devising a way forward for fighting other regional pathogens and strengthening health security in West Africa".

The new secretariat representatives will be primarily based in Nigeria, with country project managers and small teams represented in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Benin Republic.

The experts will support the Coalition by developing plans to advance vaccine R&D projects in the region, increasing country and regional engagement with vaccine developers, research funders, and other stakeholders, and providing support to implement a future Lassa fever vaccine end-to-end access roadmap. The Secretariat will also strengthen scientific capacities in affected countries to run clinical trials assessing Lassa fever vaccine candidates and rollout new vaccines.

Altogether, their regional planning and collaborations can help inform the design of upcoming Lassa fever clinical trials as well as vaccination strategies, including plans that assess regional demand for the vaccine and guidance on the populations that should be first prioritised to receive a future vaccine.

Today's announcement follows the inaugural meeting of the Lassa fever Coalition's Governing Entity in Abuja, Nigeria, in January 2025. The Coalition's Governing Entity will provide country and regional leadership to the Coalition and ensure effective governance and delivery of its programmes.

Building on this momentum, WAHO will convene the 2nd Lassa Fever International Conference (LIC) from 22 - 26 September 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Under the theme the landmark event will bring together scientists, public health experts, vaccine developers, policymakers, civil society and regional stakeholders to share insights, review progress and forge new partnerships aimed at accelerating vaccine development and strengthening Lassa fever control efforts. As Lassa fever and other infectious disease threats continue to rise in scale and complexity, the second Lassa International Conference represents a pivotal opportunity to drive a resilient and coordinated regional response.

WAHO warmly invites partners, researchers, journalists and stakeholders committee to regional health security and epidemic preparedness to actively participate in and contribute to this important event. Details on abstract submissions and participation guidelines can be found at www.lassafeverinternationalconference.org/abstract/.