Ghana has called on West African leaders to commit greater regional resources to tackle Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases, stressing the need for political leadership backed by sustainable financing and vaccine development.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference ongoing in Abidjan from 8-11 September 2025, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, emphasized that while global support remains critical, the region must take greater ownership of its health security.
“With the recent announcements of aid cuts, it is obvious we cannot continue to rely only on international aid. Leaders in this region must equally commit resources into the fight against Lassa fever and emerging infectious diseases. Our people deserve systems that are resilient and adequately financed from the many resources within (West) Africa,” she told GhanaHealthNest.
The conference, convened by the West African Health Organization (WAHO), has brought together ministers of health, public health leaders, scientists, and international partners to review the state of Lassa fever across the region. Discussions have centered on scaling up surveillance, strengthening laboratories, developing regional vaccine capacity, and securing sustainable financing for preparedness and response.
Dr. Ayensu highlighted Ghana’s ongoing efforts under President John Dramani Mahama, noting his leadership in convening the African Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra. That summit reinforced Africa’s commitment to self-reliance in health, particularly in financing frameworks and local vaccine production, and laid the foundation for the kind of political resolve which she believes is equally being advanced in Abidjan.
She further noted that Ghana is already demonstrating its commitment through targeted investments. These include Ghana’s involvement in phase 2a of the Lassa fever vaccine trials, funding support to the National Vaccine Institute, and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) achieving Maturity Level 3 on the WHO’s regulatory benchmarking system; a milestone that places Ghana among the leading regulators on the continent.
At the opening of the Abidjan meeting, health ministers, senior policymakers and partners from across West Africa made strong political commitments to strengthen regional systems, accelerate vaccine development, and ensure sustainable financing for outbreak preparedness.
Dr. Ayensu underlined Ghana’s readiness to collaborate withthe ECOWAS, the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and it’s partners to ensure that the experiences from recent outbreaks, including Ghana’s own Lassa fever experience, translate into concrete investments.
“Political will must be matched with action. This means investing in laboratories, surveillance systems, vaccine research, and, most importantly, ensuring that funding for outbreaks is available and accessible when it is needed most,” she added.
The outcomes of the Abidjan conference are expected to provide a knowledge sharing platform for the region, shape new financing and policy frameworks for Lassa fever control and epidemic preparedness across ECOWAS member states.
