Strengthening community engagement capacity for vaccine trial readiness in West Africa: A platform approach anchored in Lassa fever preparedness

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Introduction: Lassa fever (LF) remains a continuing public health threat across West Africa, where many clinical trial sites lack sufficient community engagement (CE) capacity to support ethical, effective vaccine research. In response, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)-funded Advancing Research Capacity in West Africa (ARC-WA) initiative, led by the Technical Coordinating Partners (TCP), aims to build CE capacity and a sustained platform for readiness to support a Phase 2b efficacy trial and future epidemic-responsive research. To build sustainable CE capacity at selected clinical trial sites in West Africa by supporting SOP development, targeted training, and implementing participatory community engagement strategies aligned with Good Participatory Practice (GPP) standards. Methods: A multi-site intervention is being implemented at six clinical trial research centers in Lassa Fever-endemic countries. Key activities include: development of CE SOPs (e.g., stakeholder mapping, community advisory board (CAB) management, community sensitization); conducting site-level training workshops; facilitating participatory planning sessions; and integrating CE tools into broader trial preparedness activities. Participants include CE focal staff, CAB members, and clinical site leadership. Results: Preliminary findings indicate improved comprehension of CE principles among site teams, development and piloting of CE SOPs at four sites, and enhanced engagement with local stakeholders. All the sites have initiated CE planning aligned with recruitment and retention and broader trial preparedness goals. Final documentation and analysis are ongoing, with full results expected by Q2 2025. Conclusion: Investing in CE capacity contributes to more agile, ethical, and community-responsive vaccine trial sites. While the initiative is rooted in LF preparedness, the tools and strategies developed are broadly applicable to other priority pathogen trials. These effort supports CEPI’s 100 Day Mission and demonstrates scalable, sustainable practices for public health emergency preparedness in the region.

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