Meet the women at the helm of IAVI’s Lassa program

On March 8, IAVI and other global organizations are celebrating International Women’s Day under the theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This commemoration coincides with the 30^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which remains the essential framework for advancing women’s rights and opportunities globally. Equity and inclusion in health, education, and training are key tenets of the Beijing Declaration — and are also central to IAVI’s vision of a world where all people have access to innovative vaccines and therapeutics.  

This International Women’s Day, IAVI joins UN Women in calling for actions that unlock opportunities for all and catalyze a future in which no one is left behind. We believe that these goals are especially relevant as we consider the growing global threat posed by emerging infectious disease outbreaks. Research repeatedly highlights that women face heightened exposure to pathogens as well as barriers to accessing treatment and prevention services in outbreak settings.[1] Despite this, women are frequently overlooked by clinical studies and excluded from decision-making processes in critical scientific and policy arenas.[2] IAVI is deeply committed to addressing these gender disparities with our research protocols, global access agenda, and community engagement strategies.

IAVI’s Lassa virus (LASV) vaccine program, funded by CEPI and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, is at the forefront of our efforts to drive progress. LASV is a zoonotic disease that causes the acute viral hemorrhagic illness called Lassa fever, for which treatment is limited, and no approved vaccine currently exists. It is featured in the World Health Organization’s R&D Blueprint and requires immediate action due to its potential to cause an outbreak of international concern. A vaccine and other countermeasures are urgently needed: recent research indicates that a Lassa vaccine could avert up to US$128 million in societal costs over 10 years. With another Lassa season bringing increased cases across Nigeria, pregnant women and frontline health workers (who are mostly women[3]) face increased risks.

The good news? IAVI’s vaccine candidate is currently being tested across West Africa in an IAVI-sponsored Phase 2 clinical trial that is funded by CEPI and helmed by accomplished women across the product development spectrum. In recognition of International Women’s Day this year, we are thrilled to introduce you to just a few of these remarkable leaders and their work to uplift, empower, and ultimately save lives.

Swati Gupta

Swati Gupta is IAVI’s vice president and head of emerging infectious diseases and epidemiology. Gupta oversees vaccine development efforts for Lassa, Marburg, and Sudan virus. In this Personal Viewpoint published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Gupta and 20 fellow subject matter experts lay out a roadmap for developing medical countermeasures to Lassa that are readily available for use in endemic and at-risk areas by the end of the decade.

“A Lassa vaccine would be a game-changer for women. Pregnant women, neonates, and children all face higher rates of death and adverse outcomes from Lassa infection. A safe and effective single-dose vaccine is urgently needed to protect these high-risk populations. I am proud to be on the forefront of Lassa vaccine development, working alongside many women experts and leaders at IAVI and our partner organizations who are all dedicated to the same goal: a globally accessible Lassa vaccine. Together, we can end this epidemic, and I hope that our efforts will provide encouragement to emerging women scientists who are pursuing global health challenges.”

Gaudensia Mutua

Gaudensia Mutua, a medical director with IAVI in Nairobi, Kenya, is overseeing IAVI’s Phase 2 Lassa vaccine study and working hard to enable African scientific leadership in this trial. She has a rich career in medical research and is also a strong advocate of community-engaged science. Learn more about Gaudensia in this episode of IAVI’s Meet the Scientist podcast.        

Zandile Ciko

Zandile Ciko, a community engagement manager with IAVI based in Cape Town, South Africa, ensures that our Lassa vaccine research is conducted safely, ethically, and in collaboration with affected community members. She is adept at building relationships to minimize social harm and increase public participation in potentially lifesaving studies. Learn more about Zandile in this episode of IAVI’s Meet the Scientist podcast. 

[1] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02038-X/abstract

[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9986530/

[3] https://womeningh.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-State-of-Women-and-Leadership-in-Global-Health.pdf