A consultant public health physician, Aishat Usman, said Lassa fever remains a major public health threat in ECOWAS, with recurring outbreaks placing considerable strain on regional healthcare systems and emergency response capacities.

She made the remark on Monday during a webinar on “Strengthening Multisectoral Action for Lassa Fever Prevention and Control in West Africa,” emphasising collaboration across sectors to curb disease spread.

Ms Usman highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts among health, agriculture, and environmental sectors to effectively prevent and control Lassa fever, noting that integrated strategies were critical for outbreak preparedness in the region.

She explained that the Lassa fever coalition, comprising WAHO, CEPI, WHO, and GAVI, focused on reducing morbidity and mortality through vaccine development and multisectoral collaboration across affected West African countries.

“The coalition has initiated clinical trials in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, while developing a regional Lassa fever research registry to strengthen data sharing, surveillance, and research coordination,” she said during the webinar.

Ms Usman outlined the coalition’s objectives, including applying the One Health approach to strengthen prevention and control of Lassa fever in West Africa and enhancing collaboration among human, animal and environmental health sectors.

“Other objectives include showcasing country experiences, best practices in multisectoral collaboration, joint surveillance, and community-based interventions to reduce transmission and improve response strategies across the region.

“The coalition also seeks to identify operational and policy priorities for integrating human, animal, and environmental health systems, generating actionable recommendations for regional and national One Health implementation.

“Lessons learnt from Lassa fever prevention and control can also inform strategies for managing other zoonotic diseases in West Africa,” Ms Usman emphasised, noting the importance of practical, cross-sectoral approaches.

Project Officer and Technical Coordinator, Health Security Project, WOAH Regional Representation for Africa, Ayodele Majekodunmi, stressed the need for open communication and information sharing among technical experts in disease surveillance.

She highlighted the role of veterinary services as essential components of national and regional disease control plans, noting their untapped capacity for diagnostic support and outbreak response, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Veterinary diagnostic labs with the right capacity contributed significantly to COVID-19 testing across West and Central Africa, demonstrating the importance of multisectoral approaches for zoonotic disease control,” Ms Majekodunmi said.

According to her, controlling Lassa fever requires multisectoral commitment, beginning with a clear decision from authorities that outbreak response involves collaboration among health, environment, and agricultural sectors at all levels.

“This commitment must be backed by institutional and administrative arrangements, allowing technical officers across ministries to share information and act together effectively under civil service regulations and national protocols,” she explained.

She stressed that effective collaboration relied on leadership support, ensuring technical officers had authority to share data and coordinate actions, fostering timely and coordinated responses to Lassa fever outbreaks.

“Core principles of One Health are cooperation, collaboration, and communication, which must be strengthened through relationship-building, networking, and opportunities for cross-sectoral engagement among relevant stakeholders,” Ms Majekodunmi added.
(NAN)