FIND’S leadership and impact in Lassa fever diagnostics to feature at 2nd Lassa fever International conference

FIND will showcase seven years of impact in strengthening Lassa fever preparedness at the 2nd Lassa Fever International Conference, taking place from 8–11 September 2025 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. FIND CEO Dr Ifedayo Adetifa will speak at the opening session on 9 September, focusing on how diagnostics are bridging gaps in pandemic preparedness and response and shaping global health security.

Since 2018, FIND has led a portfolio of four multi-year projects across Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with support from governments, WHO, CEPI, and academic partners. These efforts have:

• Expanded the number of laboratories able to test for Lassa fever in Nigeria from 3 to 8, reducing average diagnostic turnaround time from 8.5 days in 2018 to 6.3 days in 2023.
• Established biobanks in Nigeria and Liberia, including more than 3,500 high-quality LASV samples archived, creating essential resources for diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutic development.
• Evaluated over a dozen Lassa fever diagnostic tools, generating performance data that informed CEPI-supported vaccine trials and accelerated access to quality-assured tests.
• Trained hundreds of laboratory personnel in Good Clinical and Laboratory Practices (GCLP/GCLP) to strengthen local capacity for outbreak detection and clinical research.
• Applied Diagnostic Network Optimization (DNO) in Nigeria to improve laboratory access and specimen referral systems for faster outbreak response.

Dr Adetifa commented:

“Lassa fever is a predictable, seasonal threat in West Africa. Yet, its toll remains unacceptably high. Through powerful partnerships, FIND continues to support the much needed groundwork – laboratory strengthening, DNO, workforce capacity building, health technology assessments, etc – for a resilient diagnostic ecosystem. Sustained investment in diagnostics is a critical missing link to turn the tide on this endemic disease and safeguard our future.”

At the conference, FIND will present its recently published Target Product Profiles (TPPs) to guide innovation in Lassa fever diagnostics. FIND will also present multiple accepted abstracts, covering areas from laboratory network expansion to the establishment of external quality assurance systems.