INTRODUCTION:
Lassa fever (LF) remains a significant threat to health security in africa, particularly in nigeria where outbreaks occur annually. To strengthen epidemic preparedness, the Lassa Fever Clinical Management Fellowship (LFCMF) was established to build the capacity of the clinical workforce for improved LF case management. While the fellowship has demonstrated positive outcomes in its early phase, its sustainability and scale-up depend on the establishment of a robust and sustainable financing framework. This abstract describes the financing model employed for the pilot fellowship and its potential application for long-term integration into health systems financing.

METHODS:
A descriptive costing analysis was conducted using an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) approach to finance and implement the pilot LFCMF. Six activity domains, advocacy & stakeholder engagement, curriculum design & development, pre-implementation logistics, training implementation, training evaluation, and report dissemination, were identified, with each sub-activity costed and adjusted for inflation (+5% annual factor). Direct costs (training design, pre-implementation, and training delivery) were jointly reviewed by the seven founding LFCMF institutions to identify opportunities for in-kind contributions, cost-sharing, and leveraging existing resources.

RESULTS:
The pilot financing model blended domestic institutional investment and donor support. The FMoH&SW and NCDC contributed institutional resources for stakeholder engagement and advocacy. Funds for implementation was provided by US-CDC. Technical expertise for curriculum development came from Georgetown University, ISTH, FMC Ondo, and AE-FUTH Abakaliki. In-kind support from ISTH, including training venues, IPC consumables, and logistics, significantly reduced recurrent costs, enhancing efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS:
The pilot demonstrated that sustainable financing of epidemic preparedness initiatives is achievable through a collaborative financing model combining domestic investment, donor funding, and in-kind institutional support. Embedding this collaborative financing approach within Nigeria’s national health workforce development and financing strategy will strengthen ownership, ensure scalability, and reduce donor dependency. This provides a scalable pathway for long-term financing for epidemic preparedness.