Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat
Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases
Invitation to Submit Abstracts
The West African Health Organization invites researchers,
practitioners, and stakeholders to submit abstracts for
presentation at the
Lassa Fever International Conference 2025.
Submissions are welcome across all conference tracks and should
focus on Lassa Fever and emerging infectious diseases.
Note: Abstracts on Lassa Fever and other viral
hemorrhagic fevers will be prioritized.
Submission Guidelines:
-
Abstracts must be submitted via the official conference
submission platform. If you encounter any difficulties,
please contact abstracts@lfic2025.org
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The deadline for submission is 24 May 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
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Accepted presentations will be in either
oral or poster
format.
-
Abstracts must be structured as follows:
- Introduction/Background – Provide context
and significance of the study.
- Methods – Describe study design, data sources,
and analysis approach.
- Results – Present key findings with relevant
data.
- Conclusion – Summarize key takeaways and
recommendations.
Scope of Submissions
We welcome submissions of original research, implementation
science studies and case studies and programmatic experiences.
Language Options
Abstracts may be submitted in any of the three official ECOWAS
languages which are English, French, Portuguese.
Ensure that your abstract is clear, concise, and emphasizes
the public health significance of your work. For further
details and to submit your abstract,
CLICK HERE
Topics
Abstracts will be accepted for the following conference pillars
and themes:
Pillar 1: Regional Coordination and Cross-Border Preparedness
Themes
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Regional Partnerships for Disease Control:
Fostering coordinated efforts among governments, health
organizations, research institutions, and partners to improve
outbreak preparedness and response.
- Enhancing Cross-Border Surveillance and
Data-sharing:
Promoting joint surveillance, data sharing and harmonized
response strategies among Member States to improve disease
monitoring.
- Integrating One Health approach in Disease
Prevention and Control:
Strengthening the collaboration of human, animal, and environmental
health sectors to improve disease detection and response
through a multi-sectoral approach.
Pillar 2: Advancing Research and Medical Countermeasures for
Lassa Fever and other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
Themes
- Innovations in Vaccine Development and Access:
Examining advancements in vaccine research, regulatory
challenges, and equitable access strategies.
- Strengthening Laboratory Networks for Timely
Diagnostics:
Expanding laboratory capacity, improving rapid diagnostic
tools, and enhancing sample/specimen transport systems
to ensure prompt and accurate detection.
- Advancements in Therapeutics: Exploring
novel treatment approaches, drug repurposing and combination
therapies for improved clinical outcomes.
- Sustainable Research Collaboration and Funding:
Promoting local research initiatives, fostering partnerships,
and establishing long-term funding mechanisms to advance
long-term disease control and prevention efforts.
Abstract Structure
Title(maximum 25 words)
The title should be informative yet concise, avoiding subtitles
where possible. Use sentence case, capitalizing only proper
nouns and scientific names (e.g., Plasmodium falciparum). Do not
use abbreviations or acronyms in the title.
Pillar and Sub-theme
Introduction/Background
Provide the scientific context, rationale and public health significance
of the study. Given the diverse background of reviewers and attendees,
avoid assumptions about prior knowledge of the topic. Clearly articulate
the importance of the study and the key questions it aims to answer.
Include:
-
A brief description of the topic and its relevance to public
health
-
Research questions or study hypothesis (if applicable)
- Study Objectives
Methods
Outline the methodology used in the study, ensuring clarity and replicability.
Essential details include:
- Study design
- Study setting
- Study population
- Eligibility criteria and case definitions (if any)
- Sample size and sampling methods
- Data management and analysis processes
Results
Present the key findings (both positive and negative) of the study
in alignment with the stated objectives. Ensure that:
-
Absolute numbers, percentages, rates and ratios are provided
where applicable.
- The section does not include a discussion of results.
-
Data is included, as abstracts are standalone citable
documents.
Statements such as “Data will be discussed” should be avoided. If
analyses are ongoing, indicate that results are preliminary.
Conclusion:
Be concise and avoid repeating data from the results. This section
may include:
-
Interpretation of key findings and their implications for
public health.
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Recommended public health actions that have been or should
implemented because of the study.
Note: Changes cannot be made to the final abstract after
submission. However, if significant changes occur after the
abstract submission, they should be highlighted during the
presentation.
Word count and Formatting:
-
Abstracts should not exceed 350 words (excluding title,
keywords, authors and affiliations).
- Left-aligned text.
- Font: Times New Roman, 1.5 spacing.
-
Subheadings in bold, followed by a colon.
- No tables, figures, or images.
-
Use only standard or widely recognized abbreviations,
ensuring the full term is written at first mention.
- Italicize scientific names.
Authors
- First Author: Provide the first name, initials
of the middle name (if applicable), and the last name (e.g.,
David W. Meyers).
- Co-Authors: List each co-author in order of
contribution by typing their first and middle names as initials
followed by their last name in full (e.g., W. Grisham, M. S.
Pollock)
- Affiliations: Include the organizational affiliations
of the first author and all co-authors
- Corresponding Author: Indicate with an asterisk*
and provide their
email address and telephone number, plus their alternate contacts.
Keywords
Please include 4 – 6 keywords that reflect the core topics of the
study. Use terms listed in the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh 
