By Kelechi Igwe

From the front lines of infectious disease care in Ghana to strengthening health systems in Nigeria, Dr. Esi Mansa Aidoo’s work has traced a steady arc of impact across borders.

That momentum hasn’t stopped. Today, her expertise has found new ground in U.S. collaborations, carrying her evidence-based approach to an even broader stage and proving that her story, and her influence, are still unfolding.

In this wide-ranging conversation, building on earlier discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic and updated with new reflections amid Ondo State’s ongoing Lassa fever challenges, Dr. Aidoo shares her methods, measurable results, and evolving vision for public health. Her cross-border expertise strengthened Ondo’s pandemic response, and today, those frameworks remain vital against persistent threats like Lassa fever, which has seen hundreds of confirmed cases in Nigeria this year. Her insights underscore sustained impact, policy integration, and global validation— hallmarks of a professional whose work continues to shape and define the field of public health.

Reflecting on lessons from recent outbreaks, Dr. Aidoo discussed, lessons learned from COVID-19, the ongoing fight against Lassa fever, and what it takes to turn public health policy into lasting change.

You were recognized for your leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. How have things evolved for you professionally since then?

That experience deepened my commitment to building stronger, more adaptive public health systems. I’ve since progressed from frontline response to shaping programs and policies that enhance health resilience at both local and national levels. My MPH training in the U.S. broadened my capacity to design data-driven, sustainable models linking infectious-disease control, environmental health, and community well-being. Together, these experiences have prepared me to contribute to global efforts aimed at creating more equitable and preventive health systems.

Dr. Aidoo, your frameworks were credited with keeping maternal services open during the pandemic. How did you design a system that worked when others were failing?  

The key was practicality and adaptation. Many existing systems were built for urban, well-resourced settings, but in rural Ondo, power outages, limited staff, and travel restrictions made those approaches unworkable. I developed mobile-based training modules that could run on basic devices and trained health workers to implement infection-prevention measures using locally available materials. This context-driven approach kept maternity wards fully operational at a time when many others were struggling to maintain essential services.

Can you point to measurable outcomes from those interventions?  

Yes. In Ondo State, maternal mortality rates that were expected to spike during lockdowns instead declined by measurable percentages. Facility-based deliveries increased across multiple LGAs, and infection-related complications dropped because prevention practices were standardized. In Ghana, similar methods led to reductions in neonatal complications and improved continuity of immunization services. These are not abstract results, they are lives saved.

Your work was later embedded in Ondo’s Five-Year Strategic Health Development Plan. How significant was that?  

It was a defining milestone and a deeply meaningful accomplishment. When a state government integrates your framework into its five-year strategic plan, it moves from being an emergency response to an official health policy. That decision validated the strength of the model and ensured it would continue guiding programs beyond the pandemic, proof that solutions built under crisis conditions can evolve into sustainable systems that shape future public health planning.

Parts of Nigeria, including Ondo State now faces a renewed surge in Lassa fever cases, in what ways can the pandemic frameworks you helped establish be adapted to strengthen current outbreak response systems?

The core principles remain the same: practicality, local adaptation, and sustainability. During COVID-19, we focused on infection prevention in resource-limited settings, sustaining essential services like maternal care amid disruptions. In Ondo, where Lassa fever has been endemic and accounted for a significant portion of Nigeria’s cases in 2025, those same strategies, such as community-based training and risk communication, can be directly adapted. For instance, the digital modules I designed for mobile devices are now being repurposed for rodent control education and early symptom reporting, helping to mitigate outbreaks that have seen hundreds of confirmed cases this year. It’s about building systems that endure beyond one crisis.

What core principles from your pandemic framework are now being adapted to strengthen long-term Lassa fever control efforts in Ondo and other affected states?

Lassa fever, like COVID, thrives on gaps in surveillance and community engagement. My work in Ondo during the pandemic emphasized grassroots training using locally available resources, which reduced infection-related complications in maternity wards. Today, with Ondo reporting a high share of national cases and deaths, similar approaches are crucial for contact tracing and prevention in rural areas. I’ve consulted informally on integrating these into ongoing efforts, drawing from Ghanaian models where we tackled hemorrhagic fevers through cross-border collaboration. The result? Potentially lower case fatality rates if scaled, much like the maternal mortality declines we achieved before.

Have your frameworks influenced Lassa-specific policies within Ondo’s strategic plan?  

Absolutely. The plan’s emphasis on resilient health systems, stemming from my recommendations, provides a blueprint for infectious disease management. Recent epidemiological data from Ondo shows patterns of Lassa transmission linked to environmental factors, and my policy inputs advocate for integrated One Health approaches that address human, animal, and environmental interfaces. This permanence means the frameworks aren’t crisis-specific; they’re foundational, as evidenced by their alignment with national responses urging proactive measures.

UNICEF and WHO have both worked alongside your initiatives in Ondo State. How did those partnerships align with your frameworks then, and how might they support Lassa fever efforts today?

UNICEF’s community programs in Ondo, such as eradicating FGM and introducing digital birth registration, aligned closely with my community health frameworks, which emphasized practical systems that work at the grassroots. The World Health Organization later validated these strategies through sustainability assessments that confirmed their consistency with global best practices. Those same principles can now guide Lassa fever control, UNICEF’s outreach networks can support awareness and early reporting, while WHO’s regional frameworks can help ensure equitable readiness in high-burden areas.

Your work has earned international recognition, yet public health impact in low- and middle-income countries is sometimes undervalued. How do you define meaningful recognition in this context?

For me, recognition goes beyond titles or citations, it’s reflected in trust and tangible outcomes. I’ve been invited to serve on international judging panels, including the NIPES continental award committee, and selection boards for national public health programs, which shows peer confidence in my expertise. But the deeper validation comes from seeing frameworks I helped design saving lives and shaping policy in underserved settings. Low- and middle-income countries remind us why public health must be strengthened, because equity and resilience, defines real impact.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for applying your expertise in the United States?  

The U.S. has advanced facilities, but disparities remain in maternal health, especially among underserved populations. My vision is to adapt resilient, equity-focused models developed in Africa to American communities. The lessons of building low-cost, scalable, sustainable systems are universal. I believe the U.S. can benefit from these strategies to reduce disparities and strengthen resilience in its public health systems.

Finally, what keeps you motivated after such an intense career journey?  

The knowledge that the systems I helped build outlast me. When I visit a clinic and see that volunteers, I trained are still serving their communities years later, or when I hear that a state is still using my framework in its strategic plan, I know the impact is sustained. That is the greatest reward.

Dr. Esi Mansa Aidoo’s journey demonstrates how practical innovation in public health can build systems that last. Her frameworks have saved lives, guided policy, and earned the trust of global partners. As Ondo confronts renewed challenges from Lassa fever, her work stands as proof that enduring impact is born of continuity, collaboration, and compassion in action.