Echono Charges Nigerian Scientists to Fast-Track Lassa Fever Vaccine Development By Beauty Akporido Aroh
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has challenged Nigerian scientists to identify the fastest pathway towards developing the country’s first Lassa fever vaccine, describing the recurring disease as a major public health burden that requires urgent scientific solutions.
Echono made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during the official presentation of the outcomes of the TETFund-sponsored Mega Research Project on Lassa Fever undertaken by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.
Responding to the findings presented by the research team, the TETFund boss said the study had reinforced the need for Nigeria to move beyond research and translate scientific discoveries into practical interventions that directly improve the lives of citizens.
He stressed that vaccination remains the most effective means of controlling infectious diseases and challenged the researchers to focus their efforts on developing a vaccine against Lassa fever.
“What is the shortest route towards developing a vaccine? How can we ensure that the burden on our people is reduced? Every year, thousands of Nigerians die from Lassa fever. How can we reduce this burden?” Echono asked.
“I know a vaccine is usually the most effective mode of disease control. You vaccinate people and they become almost immune. What is the fastest path, and how can TETFund support that drive so that we can achieve direct benefits and direct impact on the lives of Nigerians?”
He assured the researchers that TETFund would collaborate with relevant government institutions to ensure that the findings are translated into national health interventions.
According to him, the Fund would engage the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Ministry of Health to validate the findings, noting that such validation would strengthen the case for establishing a vaccine development centre in Nigeria.
Echono commended the research team for producing findings capable of improving healthcare delivery, expressing confidence that controlling diseases such as Lassa fever would significantly improve the nation’s health outcomes.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Francis Aba Uba, described the project as one of the institution’s most significant research investments.
He recalled that about four years ago, TETFund awarded the university a N250 million Mega Research Grant to investigate Lassa fever, describing the intervention as a demonstration of confidence in the ability of Nigerian scientists and institutions to generate evidence-based solutions to national health challenges.
Professor Uba noted that recurrent outbreaks of Lassa fever continue to claim lives, overstretch health facilities and threaten national health security across Nigeria and West Africa.
He said the research had generated valuable scientific evidence on the epidemiology, diagnosis, management and control of the disease, while strengthening the university’s research infrastructure, laboratory capacity, collaborations and human resource development.
The Vice-Chancellor appealed to TETFund and the Federal Government to designate the university as a National Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research, saying the recognition would consolidate the gains of the project and position the institution to provide sustained leadership in research, surveillance, innovation and evidence-based responses to emerging infectious diseases.
Presenting the research findings, the Principal Investigator, Joseph Okopi, disclosed that Nigeria records the highest burden of Lassa fever globally, with between 5,000 and 10,000 deaths annually.
He described the TETFund-sponsored study as the largest multi-state population surveillance on Lassa fever ever conducted in Nigeria, investigating antibody prevalence, rodent vectors, transmission patterns and environmental risk factors associated with the disease.
Among its key findings, Professor Okopi said Benue State recorded the highest prevalence of Lassa fever antibodies among the five states surveyed, while adults aged between 20 and 40 years were the most exposed due to their involvement in farming and other outdoor activities.
The study also identified poor housing conditions, rodent infestation, contaminated food, leaking roofs and poorly fitted doors as major environmental risk factors associated with infection.
He added that contrary to popular belief, the research found that rodent consumption was not an independent predictor of Lassa fever infection.
Also presenting the clinical findings, Audu Onyemocho revealed that 1,266 participants were enrolled in the study, while 392 suspected Lassa fever cases were investigated in Benue and Kogi states.
According to him, 43 cases were confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, with Benue accounting for 25 confirmed cases and Kogi recording 18. He added that bleeding, advanced age and seizures were identified as the strongest predictors of mortality among confirmed patients.
Speaking on future research priorities, former Director of NEMA and adviser to the research team, John Idoko, stressed that the ultimate goal of the research is the development of a safe and effective vaccine that will significantly reduce the burden of Lassa fever in Nigeria and across West Africa.
