Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025299 (Oral 031) | Published: 19 Aug 2025
Kemi Ladeinde1,&, Coordinating Secretariat2
1Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria, 2Task Team on Effective Vaccine for Lassa Fever in Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Kemi Ladeinde, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria. Email: kemi.ladeinde@ncdc.gov.ng
Received: 19 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 19 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, vaccines, public health administration, research design, stakeholder participation
©Kemi Ladeinde et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Kemi Ladeinde et al., Charting a course for Lassa fever vaccine development: Early lessons from Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00031. https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-confpro5-00031
Lassa fever is a persistent threat to public health in West Africa, where Nigeria accounts for most confirmed cases and deaths annually. Without a licensed vaccine and very limited medical countermeasures, case fatality rates remain unacceptably high. In response to this urgent gap, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health established the Task Team on Effective Vaccines for Lassa Fever in Nigeria in 2023 with the mandate of devising a structured approach to guide the national effort. This study presents early insights from its first year of operations and lessons learned from implementing a country-led coordination mechanism for Lassa fever vaccine development.
A descriptive analysis of the task force implementation process was conducted using internal records, progress reports, and strategic planning documents. Supplementary semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders representing regulatory bodies, research institutions, public health agencies, and global partners.
Within its first year, the task force developed a work plan, mapped research institutions and laboratories for clinical trial readiness, initiated regulatory consultations, and established partnerships with global actors such as CEPI and IAVI. Its progress has been aided by high-level political commitment, inclusive representation, and strategic alignment with national health security goals.
Nigeria’s experience demonstrates the value of institutionalized national coordination mechanisms in advancing vaccine R&D for epidemic-prone diseases. The Task Team on Effective Vaccine for Lassa Fever in Nigeriahas successfully established foundational structures for Lassa fever vaccine development and offers a replicable governance model for other endemic countries.
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