Science Magazine this month (October 2016) features an excellent article about the work of IVCC and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in fighting insecticide resistance in mosquitoes.
The article, by Science contributing correspondent Kal Kupferschmidt, highlights the threat to malaria reduction by growing insecticide resistance. It points to the critical work of IVCC and LSTM in ‘evaluating new weapons to fight mosquitoes’. LSTM does this through its vector biology programmes, and IVCC through working with industrial agrochemical giants to create innovate new insecticides that will combat insecticide resistance.
IVCC’s CEO, Nick Hamon, emphasises the challenge of keeping industrial companies engaged in developing new insecticides when the potential market for new public health insecticides is small. The future is hopeful, however, as he points out three potential new insecticides will shortly be moved into the final testing stages.
Read the full article here:
Still Time to Battle Insecticide Resistance 22nd November 2016Insecticide treated bednets are highly effective at reducing malaria transmission, despite the rise in insecticide resistance, according to a study carried out by the WHO. But this is not grounds for complacency, according to the President of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Dr Stephen Higgs. ‘This study provides encouraging news that we have not yet run out of time in battling insecticide resistance’, he said. ‘However, we must take advantage of the time we now have to invest in research, and generate new tools that will allow us to finally defeat this complex and challenging disease.’
The WHO research across five countries showed that people who slept under a long-lasting insecticide treated net (LLIN) had significantly lower rates of malaria infection than those who did not use a net. This was consistent with recent research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which showed that insecticide treated bednets provided significant protection to children in an area of Malawi with considerable malaria transmission and low levels of insecticide resistance. The research found that the insecticide treated bednets still kill mosquitos even in areas where there is known resistance.
Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme said that the key finding of the study is that treated nets continue to be a highly effective tool in the malaria fight. ’The study supports WHO’s call for achieving universal coverage of long-lasting insecticide treated bednets for all populations at risk of malaria,’ he said.
According to the WHO World Malaria Report 2015, mosquito nets have been the most important malaria control tool in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for an estimated 69% of cases prevented through interventions since 2001. Since 2000, malaria case incidence has declined by 37% globally and malaria death rates have fallen by 60%. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most heavily affected by malaria, cases and deaths have fallen by 42% and 66%, respectively.
Following the study Dr Alonso has called for a global strategy for comprehensive control of disease carrying insects to be high on the agenda for the 2017 World Health Assembly. He said there is a growing need for sustainable approaches supported by enhanced expertise to aid the fight against malaria and other insect-borne diseases. WHO continues to highlight the urgent need for new and improved malaria-fighting tools to accelerate progress towards global elimination goals and is calling for greater investments in vector control interventions, improved diagnostics and more effective medicines.
IVCC is at the forefront of the fight against disease carrying insects. Intensive research since 2005, with global leaders in insecticide development, has produced a promising pipeline of new anti-mosquito tools currently under development. WHO is revising its process for reviewing and recommending new malaria vector interventions in order to fast track their route to the field.
WHO World Malaria Report 2016 Highlights Key Role of Vector Control 14th December 2016Despite growing mosquito resistance to insecticides, vector control remains the main way of preventing and reducing malaria transmission, says the WHO in its recently released World Malaria Report 2016.
‘Long-lasting insecticidal nets are the mainstay of malaria prevention’, said Secretary General, Margaret Chan, adding that the WHO recommends their use for all people at risk of malaria. ‘Across sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of people sleeping under treated nets has nearly doubled over the last 5 years’, she said.
The report spotlights a number of positive trends, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, the region that carries the heaviest malaria burden. It shows that, in many countries, access to disease-cutting tools is expanding at a rapid rate for those most in need.
Although excellent progress has been made, in 2015 there was still a global tally of 212 million cases of malaria and 429 000 deaths. Gaps in coverage are reported for key interventions such as bed nets and in-door residual spraying, with around 43% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa still unprotected.
The progress of the past 15 years is threatened by the rapid development and spread of mosquito resistance to insecticides. Antimalarial drug resistance could also jeopardize recent gains.
Welcoming the Report, IVCC CEO, Dr Nick Hamon said, ‘The significant gains in the battle against malaria are to be applauded, but the battle is far from over. Vector control is now widely recognised as a key player in the battle and IVCC is deeply committed to ensuring it delivers the new vector control tools needed to ultimately defeat this insidious disease.’
Find out more about the World Malaria Report 2016 here.
Secretary of State Announces £25M Fund for IVCC 14th December 2016IVCC is to receive new funding of £25million from UKAID for its work developing new anti-malarial insecticides. The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for International Development, The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, at the launch of the WHO World Malaria Report 2016 in London.
‘We are here to celebrate the continuing progress in the battle against malaria, and the leadership role the UK is playing as part of the global effort,’ she said. ‘But progress is now overshadowed by the big issue of drug resistance and insecticide resistance. So it is imperative that the world continues to affirm its commitment to tackling malaria today, and to meeting that critical target agreed last year, of reducing the malaria burden by a further 90% by 2030.’
‘The UK has been at the forefront of the fight against malaria for many years, but we must keep up the momentum. Long lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying of homes have had a major impact in the fight against malaria. With our support, IVCC are on track to deliver three new active ingredients to the market by 2022.’
Thanking UKAID, IVCC CEO, Dr Nick Hamon said, ‘This is absolutely wonderful news. This grant will result in significant impact through the creation of a toolbox of novel vector solutions. We thank the staff at UKAID for their outstanding support over the past three years and look forward to working with them over the next four years and beyond. IVCC has a very strong pipeline of potential products, with one new product in particular (Actellic CS), co-developed with Syngenta, saving lives and having a significant impact in Africa’.
Read the full speech of the Secretary of State here
Working in Partnership with Syngenta 30th March 2017IVCC this week attended Syngenta’s 2017 Good Growth Plan event in Brussels, Belgium. Dr Nick Hamon, CEO of IVCC was interviewed about their partnership programme and spent time with Syngenta CEO Erik Fyrwald. Earlier in the day, David Maguire, IVCC’s NgenIRS Director presented to over 200 invited guests providing an insight on how Syngenta’s malarial insecticide Actellic©CS300 is being used, with the support of IVCC and its funder UNITAID, to deliver next generation indoor residual spray programmes across sub-Saharan Africa.