Experts urge innovative financing to strengthen Africa’s lassa fever R&D
Ahead of the ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference 2025 (ELFIC2025), regional public health experts have urged African governments to adopt innovative financing models for health research and vaccine development.
They made the call at a preparatory webinar, on Wednesday titled “Financing the Future- Integrating Vaccine R&D Preparedness into Sustainable Health Policy” moderated by Head of Lassa Engagement at CEPI, Ms Oyeronke Oyebanji.
Supreme news, reports that the conference, scheduled for Sept. 8 to Sept.11 in Abidjan and themed “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases”.
It seeks to reaffirm regional commitment, mobilise political will and drive collective action against Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases.
They warned that continued reliance on external donors threatens the continent’s epidemic preparedness.
They experts emphasised the need for Africa to develop locally tailored financing mechanisms that combine government investment, philanthropic contributions and private sector participation to sustain research and development (R&D).
Prof. Nicaise Ndembi, Deputy Director General of the Inaugural International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Regional Africa Office and Head of Mission, IVI Rwanda, cited the Korean model, where governments guarantee 50 per cent of funding for promising R&D projects.
Ndembi said that foundations such as the Gates Foundation contributes a significant portion, combined with other sources including domestic funding, ensuring accountability and shared ownership.
“Africa cannot retain research financing solely within the line of external sources. We need to customize models that suit our local context,” he said.
He added that such frameworks would not only strengthen epidemic preparedness for Lassa fever, chikungunya and dengue, but also stimulate innovation and job creation in Africa’s bio-industry sector.
He further noted that despite repeated continental commitments to invest at least 1% of GDP in research, most African countries fall short, leaving critical R&D initiatives underfunded.
“The continent must move from donor dependency to a value-driven bio-industry ecosystem that creates jobs, supports local manufacturing and ensures sustainability,” he stressed.
Dr Pétronille Zengbé, Director-General of Research and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted the competing health priorities in West Africa, including infectious disease outbreaks, maternal health and nutrition.
Zengbé noted that these challenges often divert attention from long-term investments in vaccine R&D.
She emphasised that the capacity and infrastructure already exist in francophone Africa, citing universities and scientific committees that successfully contributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zengbe proposed an innovative domestic financing model, allocating a small percentage of revenue from agricultural exports like coffee and cocoa to fund health research, linking economic productivity to scientific reinvestment.
She further stressed the importance of inter-epidemic funding, urging Africa to save and allocate resources during calm periods between outbreaks to sustain research, rather than relying solely on emergency external funding.
“Political leadership, supported by regional bodies like the Organisation Africaine de la Santé (OAS), is crucial to mobilise local funds and implement sustainable R&D solutions,’’ she said.
Dr Kwasi Nyarko highlighted the success of MenAfriVac, meningitis A vaccine developed for Africa’s meningitis belt with 70 million dollars in initial financing, far below the usual 500 million dollars cost, through collaborative partnerships and strategic market planning.
Nyarko suggested that this model could guide the development of a Lassa fever vaccine, emphasising blended financing, collaboration and early market engagement.
He also pointed to the investment gap in Africa, noting that most countries spend less than 0.7 per cent of GDP on research, compared to 0.3 per cent in the EU and nearly three per cent in China.
He called on African leaders to view research as a priority, not a luxury, stating: “Doing research and development is more important to us in Africa than to the West, because we don’t have opportunities to make mistakes.
“We must make informed decisions and that comes from research.”
He said with a call to action: “Africa must invest in researchers, universities, clinical trial centers and innovation ecosystems during “quiet times” between crises.
“Research is promising, research is profitable. It is something you do not when you have money, but when you want to grow.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, would participate as special guest at the conference.
Key participants include Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO, Dr Amadou Sall of CEPI, Dr Sita Kroman Savane of Côte d’Ivoire’s One Health Platform and Dr Abdou Salam Gueye, WHO Africa Regional Emergency Director.
Their expertise would drive discussions on epidemic preparedness, multisectoral coordination, and actionable strategies to contain outbreaks.
Experts such as Prof. Oyewale Tomori and other regional specialists would present findings on viral transmission, community interventions, and long-term containment strategies.
Lassa fever affects 100,000 to 300,000 people annually in West Africa, with Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Sierra Leone most affected particularly pregnant women and healthcare workers.
The conference organisers underscore the importance of a one health approach and builds on lessons from the first ELFIC held in Abuja, emphasising collaboration, innovation and preparedness to strengthen ECOWAS’s collective capacity to prevent and respond to future epidemics.
Newsmen recalls that the ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference 2025 promises to be a strategic platform for strengthening regional cooperation, mobilising resources and advancing sustainable solutions to protect Africa against Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases.
The five-day event will bring together ministers, researchers and global experts to strengthen regional collaboration against Lassa fever and other viral haemorrhagic fevers that threaten West Africa’s health security.
