Researchers from across West Africa are working to turn scientific findings presented at a regional Lassa fever conference into research papers that could strengthen efforts to prevent and control the disease.

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO), in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), its partners and regional experts, held a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, to finalise scientific papers from the 2025 ECOWAS International Lassa Fever Conference.

The five-day workshop, run from 17 to 21 August 2026, brought together lead authors, mentors and the Editor-in-Chief to review and complete the manuscripts.

The papers are being prepared for submission to the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health (JIEPH).

During technical review sessions, experts helped authors strengthen their manuscripts and ensure that they meet the journal's requirements before final submission and possible publication.

Turning conference findings into evidence

The workshop was also being used to formally unveil the report of the 2025 ECOWAS International Lassa Fever Conference.

The report brought together key discussions, scientific contributions, recommendations and priorities from the conference.

It intended to provide a reference for regional efforts to prevent and control Lassa fever. For WAHO and its partners, the work does not end when a conference closes.

The current process is focused on ensuring that research and scientific contributions presented at the conference are documented and developed into publications.

The aim is to strengthen the evidence available to support public policy, preparedness and the regional response to Lassa fever.

WAHO says the initiative is also intended to strengthen research capacity in the region, promote the sharing of knowledge and support the use of scientific evidence in policymaking.

By helping researchers develop their conference contributions into scientific publications, the organisation and its partners are seeking to give greater visibility to knowledge generated within West Africa.

The process could also provide a stronger evidence base for efforts to prevent and control Lassa fever across the region.

The Abuja workshop therefore represents the next stage in a process that began with the 2025 ECOWAS International Lassa Fever Conference, taking research presented at the meeting, refining it through expert review and working towards its publication.

The conference report, meanwhile, provides a record of the discussions, findings and priorities that emerged from the event.