Lassa Fever at 56 & Urgent Need to Transform Decades of Data Into Real Action_CHEAP Talk Africa WARF скачать в хорошем качестве

Lassa Fever at 56 & Urgent Need to Transform Decades of Data Into Real Action_CHEAP Talk Africa WARF

The meeting focused on discussing Lassa fever in Nigeria, with Prof Oyewale Tomori and Prof Chundung Miner as key panelists. The discussion explored why Lassa fever persists after 56 years, highlighting gaps in surveillance, laboratory systems, and environmental control measures. Prof Tomori emphasized that Nigeria's lack of seriousness about the disease and resource squandering are major obstacles, while Prof Miner discussed the importance of community education and addressing cultural practices that contribute to transmission. The panelists agreed that political will and commitment are needed to implement existing policies, with Prof Tomori suggesting that declaring Lassa fever a national emergency could help drive action. The conversation concluded with recommendations for students and early career professionals to get involved in advocacy and pressure groups to push for better disease control measures. Host Opening Statement Distinguished policymakers, senior officials, partners in health security, Researchers, students, care givers and everyone —welcome to CHEAP TALK Africa: “Enough Is Enough: Lassa Fever at 56 and the Urgent Need to Transform Decades of Data into Real Action.” For over half a century, we have generated robust evidence on transmission patterns, seasonal trends, hotspots, diagnostics, and care pathways—yet morbidity and mortality persist, and the burden remains concentrated in familiar geographies. This is a solvable problem, not an inevitable one. Before we proceed, I invite us to observe a brief moment of silence for Dr. Salome Oboyi, the senior registrar from Bingham University Teaching Hospital who recently died after contracting Lassa fever in the line of duty, and for all frontline workers we have lost in similar circumstances. (Pause for 10 seconds.) May their service compel our urgency. Once again _Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this special edition of CHEAP TALK Africa. It is often said that prevention is far CHEAPer than cure, and this initiative was created from that simple but powerful truth. The CHEAP Talk Africa is a monthly Dialogue which we began middle of last year to discuss pressing issues within the premise of the CHEAP mission. CHEAP means Community Health Enhancement Aid Project with a vision for a resilient, healthy communities across Africa. Mission: To Promote One Health, empower local actors, and tackle zoonoses, poverty, and climate threats It is an Initiative of War Against Rabies Foundation (WARF) a charitable organization I founded and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria (CAC) since 2017. On CHEAP Talk Africa We have had very engaging conversations with Africa’s notably knowledgeable, influential, active & relevant scientists, policy makers working in Africa and/or with Africa! So far, we have had Experts from Namibia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria. Our audience is global. The program is young but growing. Today’s conversation is not just another dialogue—it is a call to conscience, a call to courage, and a call to action. For 56 years, Lassa fever has remained one of West Africa’s most persistent and deadly public health threats. Year after year, we gather data. We publish reports. We mourn preventable deaths. Yet the cycle continues. We know what works, and we know what doesn’t. But data without action is just documentation. And documentation without implementation is a betrayal of the communities still living under the shadow of Lassa fever. Tonight, we say: Enough is enough! This platform - CHEAP TALK Africa - was created to bridge the gap between knowledge and real change. And today, we bring together experts, practitioners, and leaders who have lived this battle from the frontlines. Our mission tonight is simple yet urgent: to examine why, after 56 years, Nigeria and West Africa are still fighting the same viral enemy—and more importantly, what must change now. Lassa fever should not be a generational problem. It should not be an annual headline. It should not be a normal part of community life. Not after all these years. Not with the expertise we have. Not with the tools available. Not when every delay costs more lives. So, as we begin this conversation, I ask us all—panelists, participants, citizens, advocates, policy makers—to come with honesty, to speak with courage, and to think boldly. The time for transformative action is now. Welcome to the conversation where we finally turn decades of data into decisive action. Welcome to CHEAP TALK Africa. CEO Prof. Grace Sabo Nok Kia ‪@CHEAPTalkAfrica‬ #LassaFever #OneHealth #PublicHealth #Zoonoses #HealthEducation #NigeriaHealth #CHEAPTALKAfrica