The newly released World Malaria Report, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), spotlights a pivotal moment in the fight against malaria. From 2000 to 2023, the global community averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives—a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration, and commitment to malaria elimination. Yet, with nearly 600,000 lives lost in 2023, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria remains a formidable challenge. Fragile health systems, funding gaps, and the compounded effects of climate change and conflict continue to hinder progress toward the WHO’s elimination targets.

Vector control remains central to malaria prevention. In 2023, 78% of the 195 million insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) delivered in sub-Saharan Africa featured next-generation technologies such as pyrethroid-PBO or dual-active ingredients, offering enhanced protection against resistant mosquitoes. While this represents significant progress, only 52% of at-risk populations in the region slept under ITNs in 2023, an improvement from 2015 but still far from the goal of universal coverage. Among young children and pregnant women, coverage was slightly higher at 59%. Over two decades, more than three billion ITNs have been distributed globally, but widespread pyrethroid resistance—now confirmed in 86% of monitored malaria-endemic countries—demands accelerated adoption of these more effective tools.

Encouragingly, countries across regions are making headway, including in the Greater Mekong, where our Indo-Pacific Initiative supports targeted interventions to address regional vector control challenges. These efforts exemplify the transformative impact of scaling innovative solutions alongside strengthening health systems. As the World Malaria Report reminds us, sustained momentum is crucial to closing protection gaps, overcoming resistance, and achieving a malaria-free future.

The “Big Push” initiative represents a timely call to action, uniting global stakeholders to address the persistent challenges in malaria control. By aligning partner support with the specific needs of endemic countries, the initiative emphasizes the importance of bolstering primary healthcare, fostering community engagement, and ensuring the rapid adoption of transformative tools. This coordinated effort, rooted in the Lusaka agenda, underscores the critical need for increased funding, improved data systems, and a whole-of-society approach to reinvigorate progress against malaria.

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Each year, the World malaria report serves as a vital tool to assess global progress and gaps in the fight against malaria. This year’s report provides a critical and up-to-date snapshot of efforts to control and eliminate the disease in 83 countries worldwide.

The report also introduces, for the first time, a dedicated chapter emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and effective response, with a focus on reaching the populations most vulnerable to malaria. Groups at high risk of a malaria infection include children under 5, women and girls, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, people with disabilities, and people in remote areas with limited healthcare access.

Download the full report here: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/379751/9789240104440-eng.pdf?sequence=1

More details about the report are available on the WHO website: https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports/world-malaria-report-2024

IVCC will participate at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine (ASTMH) in New Orelans, USA, taking place between 13th and 17th November.

Visit our booth (#516) to find out our latest news and details about our product development pipeline.

Along with our partners, we look forward to contributing insights and progress on expanding the vector control toolbox and the importance of combining tools to achieve malaria elimination.

IVCC CEO, Justin McBeath will participate in the MMV and TDR sponsored scientific symposium on Friday, 15 November from 7:00–8:45 AM in Room 395/396 of the New Orleans Convention Center. It is held in conjunction with the 2024 ASTMH Annual Meeting. ‘Malaria prevention: A trilogy of tools to accelerate to zero deaths‘ will explore how new insecticides, expanded chemoprevention and the first generation of vaccines offer a golden opportunity to bolster the fight against malaria.

Co-chairs: John Reeder, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, Switzerland and George Jagoe, MMV, Switzerland.

Moderator: Daniel Ngamije Madandi, WHO Global Malaria Programme, Switzerland

• The development and rollout of the R21 vaccine and Oxford University’s pipeline of vaccines: Adrian Hill, Jenner Institute, UK
• Science behind the current vaccines, the impact of those currently in use and what’s coming down the pipeline in terms of next-gen vaccines: Ashley Birkett, PATH, USA
• Preventive medicines: Cristina Donini, MMV, Switzerland
• Optimizing delivery and uptake of seasonal malaria chemoprevention and malaria vaccines: Fatimata Bintou Sall, University Iba Der Thiam Thies, Senegal
• Vector control: Justin McBeath, Innovative Vector Control Consortium, UK
• The country perspective on integration of prevention tools: Keziah Malm, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Ghana
• Gender-sensitive approaches to malaria prevention: Margaret Gyapong, Institute of Health Research at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana
• Implementation research for malaria prevention tools: Seydou Doumbia, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology of Bamako, Mali

IVCC is hosting a sponsored symposium to present the ‘Results from Large-Scale Trials of the Sarabi Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait to Reduce Malaria Burden in Kenya, Mali and Zambia’. It takes place on Friday, 15 November from 7:00 to 8:45 in Room 343/344 (third floor) of the New Orleans Convention Center. The sponsored symposium, held in conjunction with the ASTMH annual meeting and organised in partnership with PATH, will include insights from ATSB project partners* on the entomological and epidemiological impact evaluation of the ATSB® (Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits). Participants include:

Angela Harris, Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), UK and Busiku Hamainza, of the Zambia Health Ministry will co-chair the session. Speakers include:

• Sarah Staedke, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: The impact of ATSB deployment in Western Kenya
• Daniel McDermott, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: ATSB deployment in Western Kenya
• Caroline Ogwang, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research: The epidemiologic impact of ATSB deployment in Western Kenya
• Eric Ochomo, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research: The entomologic impact of ATSB deployment in Western Kenya
• Seydou Doumbia, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology of Bamako: The impact of ATSB deployment in Mali
• Mahamadou Toure, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology of Bamako: ATSB deployment in Mali
• Sophie Sarrassat, London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: The epidemiologic impact of ATSB deployment in Mali
• Immo Kleinschmidt, London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: The epidemiologic impact of ATSB deployment in Mali
• Mohamed Traore, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology of Bamako: The entomologic impact of ATSB deployment in Mali
• Gunter Muller, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology of Bamako: The entomologic impact of ATSB deployment in Mali
• Megan Littrell, PATH: The impact of ATSB deployment in Zambia
• Erica Orange, PATH: ATSB deployment in Zambia
• Ruth Ashton, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine: The epidemiologic impact of ATSB deployment in Zambia
• Javan Chanda, PATH: The entomologic impact of ATSB deployment in Zambia

For more on the ATSB project, you can also attend presentations and posters outside of the sponsored symposium. A selection are highlighted below. Full details of all ATSB-related presentations visit the scientific program.

On Thursday November 14, 12:00 – 1:45 Convention Center – Hall I-1 [1st Floor]:

• #6452 Community acceptability of attractive targeted sugar baits in a cluster randomized controlled trial in western Kenya, Caroline Ogwang, KEMRI
• #6175 Time to loss of physical integrity of attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) stations in western province, Zambia: a survival analysis, Refilwe Karabo, Tulane University
• #6396 Attractive targeted sugar baits for malaria control in western Kenya (ATSB-Kenya): enrollment characteristics of cohort children and households, Alice Kamau, LSTM

On Friday November 15, 11:00 – 11:15, Convention Center – Room 393/394 [3rd floor]:

• Effect of Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSBs) on malaria incidence in children in Western Kenya: a cluster-randomized controlled trial, Caroline Ogwang, KEMRI

On Friday November 15, 12:00 – 12:45, Convention Center – Hall I-1 [1st Floor]:

• #7027 Deployment of attractive targeted sugar baits in western Zambia: installation, monitoring, removal, and disposal procedures during a phase III cluster randomized control trial, Erica Orange, PATH

On Saturday November 16, 11:00 – 12:45, Convention Center – Hall I-1 [1st Floor]:

• # 8030 Cost and cost-effectiveness of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSB): cluster randomized control trials (cRCT) in Zambia, Kenya, and Mali, Brooke Mancuso, Tulane University
• #8020 Community acceptance of a novel malaria intervention, ATSB stations, in the context of the ATSB Zambia phase III trial, Erica Orange, PATH

On Saturday November 16, 6:00 – 6:45, Convention Center – Room 353 [3rd Floor]:

• Entomological effects of attractive targeted sugar bait station deployment in western Zambia: vector surveillance findings from a two-arm cluster randomized phase III trial, Javan Chanda, PATH

IVCC is also co-hosting an invitation-only workshop with Innovation to Impact (I2I) on Wednesday, 13th November, from 15:30 to 19:00. Co-hosted by Rosemary Lees (I2I) and Jason Richardson (IVCC), this workshop will address whether our current methods for evaluating Spatial Repellents (SR)—now under review by the Vector Control Advisory Group (VCAG)—are appropriate and sufficiently validated to produce robust evidence. In preparation, we invite readers to share their insights on the current understanding of SR efficacy and optimal testing methods via a pre-meeting poll (link here). Although attendance is by invitation, the organizers are committed to sharing the workshop’s outcomes with interested stakeholders.

* ATSB Project partners are: Westham Co, IVCC, PATH, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Science, Technique and Technology of Bamako.

Please visit the ASTMH event website for more information.

Responding to the challenge of gaps in the malaria vector control tool box, IVCC has issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to fund Proof of Concept (PoC) projects for new vector control tools that target aspects of the mosquito lifecycle beyond indoor feeding and resting.

Current WHO malaria vector control policy relies almost entirely on methods that target indoor feeding and/or resting mosquitoes through use of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs).

Several supplemental approaches, including spatial emanators, insecticide-treated eave tubes and targeted sugar baits have undergone large-scale trials and are under evaluation by the WHO Vector Control Advisory Group (VCAG) for public health value.

Additional tools that target aspects of the mosquito lifecycle beyond indoor feeding/resting, are still urgently needed to address gaps in malaria transmission.

Full details, including product/concept scope, description of the Proof-of-Concept stage, budget, overall approach, eligibility criteria and how to apply are outlined on the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) Procurement Portal. Expressions of Interest are only accepted via the portal.

Deadline for submission of Expression of Interest: 16^th December 2024.

Full details on the eligibility criteria and what is covered by the call are available by downloading the call for proposals document here. To submit your expression of interest, follow this link to the procurement portal (registration is required).

IVCC’s External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) welcomes Corine Ngufor, an expert in entomology. Dr Ngufor will also provide specific expertise on capacity strengthening.

The ESAC provides expert specialist technical assessments of IVCC’s portfolio of products, including project selection, transition, and termination. They provide advice to the IVCC management team during periodic reviews of the projects. Membership of the ESAC is through nomination of candidates with the required expertise.

Dr Ngufor is an Associate Professor of medical entomology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is also the Lead Scientist of a Good Laboratory Practice compliant collaborative research programme at the Centre de Recherche Entomologique de Cotonou, Ministry of Health, Benin, focused on the development of novel vector control products.

Dr Ngofur has led several research grants funded by the IVCC, WHO, USAID, Gates Foundation, Global Fund, UNITAID and various chemical companies that have contributed to the development of a new generation of vector control products for controlling insecticide-resistant malaria vectors and the identification of suitable methods for evaluating their efficacy. She is co-chair of the Vector Control Working Group of the RBM partnership to end malaria and a member of the Vector Control Advisory Group (VCAG) and Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) of the World Health Organisation. Corine completed her MSc and PhD in medical entomology from LSHTM.

More details on the role and responsibilities of ESAC members, visit ivcc.com/research-development/esacs/

During last week’s Labour Party Conference, IVCC’s CEO Justin McBeath attended a breakfast roundtable hosted by Malaria No More UK.

The roundtable offered the opportunity to present key voices from a range of speakers, many with a strong background in malaria science to discuss how the UK can play its part more effectively in the global fight and why it is important that it does so.

The UK has been at the forefront of the fight against global diseases for centuries. As an important international donor, the UK has led efforts to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and across the globe.

The roundtable supported the recent publication of a practical, evidence-based guide for how the newly established UK government can reinvigorate its fight against malaria. The pamphlet, titled: ‘The Government’s First Steps to Ending Malaria’, draws insight from global malaria experts, including Justin McBeath who called for ministers to experience the innovation taking place across the country firsthand. He also highlighted how it is incumbent on the scientific community to equip policymakers with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.

UK-led research and innovation, backed by direct funding from the UK Government or financed via multilateral institutions, has played an important role supporting in Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) like IVCC; and in the development of new vector control tools such as dual active ingredient nets (ITNs) which averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases and approximately 24,600 deaths in 21 countries between 2018 and 2023.

Continued support for innovation in therapeutics, vaccines, vector control and diagnostics means that a malaria-free future is possible.

By bolstering international health initiatives such as the New Nets Project and Product Development Partnerships more broadly, the UK cultivates a more secure, resilient, and prosperous global landscape. Investment in overseas aid for global health fosters international cooperation and economic stability. It strengthens diplomatic ties and reinforces the UK’s position as a global leader that is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Jessica Tole MP and Catherine West MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) with Victoria Fowler, Head of UK Advocacy at Malaria No More UK.

Image credit: Hugo Bainbridge/Malaria No More UK