Lassa fever: Organisation invests $250m in vaccine research

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), says since 2017, it has invested over 250 million dollars on Lassa fever studies to facilitate a vaccine for the disease.

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The Director, Epidemiology and Data Science, Gabrielle Breugelmans, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the inauguration of Enable 1.5.

Enable 1.5 is a prospective cohort study to evaluate Lassa fever incidence, its symptoms and co-infection with malaria in West Africa.

Breugelmans said that the sum, which was invested since 2017, had been for the development of a Lassa fever vaccine through all the different activities.

“This means investment in the vaccine trials, but also in the Enable research programme to really get critical data.”

She also said that for Enable 1.5, 5,000 healthy people, including children and infants, would be invited to take part in the study to help facilitate Lassa fever vaccine.

The new research led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), CEPI and other partners would commence in October at designated sites in Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states, as Sierra Leone and Liberia would commence in later weeks.

The Chief Executive Officer of CEPI, Richard Hatchett, stated that incomplete detection of Lassa fever cases hampers understanding of the disease’s true incidence rate, ultimately affecting resource allocation for response efforts.”

He said that it could threaten the evaluation, rollout and acceptance of future Lassa vaccines.

“Insights gained on the diversity of disease symptoms will enhance our understanding of Lassa fever, categorised into mild, moderate or severe cases.

“This information will be crucial in guiding where and how future late-stage vaccine trials are conducted and determining priority groups for receiving the Lassa vaccine once it becomes licensed in the coming years.”

The Director-General, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said that the expanded investigation represented key progresses made in the battle against Lassa fever.

“We are improving our capacity to identify and recognise cases while preparing for future vaccine development by examining the disease’s symptoms and its connection to other infections.

“The results of this work are vital for forming health practices and promoting the health of populations in Nigeria and West Africa.

“Our global partners and local communities are assisting us in making strides towards lessening the impact of Lassa fever and getting ready for a future that can block its life-threatening effects.”

Enable National Project Coordinator, Nigeria, Mrs Elsie Ilori, said that the inauguration of the expanded Lassa fever study was a key step in ongoing efforts to understand and combat the dreadful disease.

“Through deeper investigations into the variations of Lassa fever symptoms and their comparison to other prevalent infections within the region, we will obtain valuable insights that can improve diagnosis, boost outbreak preparedness, and inform the future vaccine development.”

The Lassa fever, a potentially deadly disease is a public health burden in West Africa. First diagnosed in Nigeria in 1969, it is primarily spread by infected Mastomys rats.

CEPI first inaugurated Enable in 2019 with over 23,000 participants across West Africa taking part in the research till date and initial data collected up to 2024 expected to be published in upcoming months.

NAN/Wumi