Utilizing Local Innovations for Community Engagement: A Co-Creation Model for Disease Outbreak Management
1
Georgetown Global Health Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A609
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Lassa fever (LF) remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, often overwhelming healthcare systems. The Optimizing Local Innovations Scaled Through Enterprise Networks (LISTEN) for Lassa Fever Control (OLAC) project was designed to leverage community structures to identify challenges and co-produce solutions to address the menace in Ondo State. The project aimed to strengthen prevention and control efforts through stakeholder engagement, government, healthcare workers, and affected communities, to co-produce sustainable solutions and improve outbreak response through contextualized interventions and driving local ownership.
METHODS:
The pilot was implemented in Akure South and Owo Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ondo State using a participatory mixed-methods approach. Structured questionnaires were administered to 10 purposively selected officials from State Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment, reflecting a one-health perspective. 40 community representatives, including farmers, market women, religious and traditional leaders, healthcare workers, and youths, participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data was collected via RedCap, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to identify key challenges, community-driven solutions, and actionable recommendations for LF prevention and control.
RESULTS:
Findings showed strong community awareness of LF, but myths, stigma, and limited healthcare access, especially in rural areas, hindered the implementation of preventive measures. Environmental drivers included poor sanitation and exposure to rodents. Communities proposed targeted sensitization, better waste management, and stronger local healthcare systems. Cross-cutting themes such as training of environmental officers, provision and maintenance of shared resources, and supporting advocacy groups highlighted the importance of collective action.
CONCLUSIONS:
The LISTEN model employed in the OLAC project demonstrated that stakeholder buy-in and community-led co-production are critical to developing context-specific interventions. Integrating local knowledge with systemic support yielded actionable strategies that can strengthen outbreak resilience and inform broader infectious disease control measures in Nigeria.
Lassa fever (LF) remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, often overwhelming healthcare systems. The Optimizing Local Innovations Scaled Through Enterprise Networks (LISTEN) for Lassa Fever Control (OLAC) project was designed to leverage community structures to identify challenges and co-produce solutions to address the menace in Ondo State. The project aimed to strengthen prevention and control efforts through stakeholder engagement, government, healthcare workers, and affected communities, to co-produce sustainable solutions and improve outbreak response through contextualized interventions and driving local ownership.
METHODS:
The pilot was implemented in Akure South and Owo Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ondo State using a participatory mixed-methods approach. Structured questionnaires were administered to 10 purposively selected officials from State Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment, reflecting a one-health perspective. 40 community representatives, including farmers, market women, religious and traditional leaders, healthcare workers, and youths, participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data was collected via RedCap, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to identify key challenges, community-driven solutions, and actionable recommendations for LF prevention and control.
RESULTS:
Findings showed strong community awareness of LF, but myths, stigma, and limited healthcare access, especially in rural areas, hindered the implementation of preventive measures. Environmental drivers included poor sanitation and exposure to rodents. Communities proposed targeted sensitization, better waste management, and stronger local healthcare systems. Cross-cutting themes such as training of environmental officers, provision and maintenance of shared resources, and supporting advocacy groups highlighted the importance of collective action.
CONCLUSIONS:
The LISTEN model employed in the OLAC project demonstrated that stakeholder buy-in and community-led co-production are critical to developing context-specific interventions. Integrating local knowledge with systemic support yielded actionable strategies that can strengthen outbreak resilience and inform broader infectious disease control measures in Nigeria.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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