On 25^th May 2024, Malaria No More UK hosted a reception event alongside the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva.

The reception brought together Commonwealth health ministers and senior officials, as well as the global malaria community to discuss and shine a light on what is needed to meet the commitments made on ending malaria.

The 2024 Commonwealth Malaria Report was also launched during the event. Produced by Malaria No More UK, African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), the report highlights efforts to end malaria across the Commonwealth. It includes case studies from five countries with a special focus on the Pacific region.

IVCC was proud to participate in the event to make the case for the importance of vector control and showcase our work in the Indo-Pacific, which has recently new grant funding from the Australian Government to support vector control innovation across the region.

A recently published essay collection curated by Malaria No More UK and the ONE Campaign, makes the case for the next UK government to continue its support for the life-saving work of multilateral global health mechanisms like Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and The Global Fund to fight AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Unitaid.

The collection features essays from a diverse range of British and international voices, including a piece by IVCC CEO, Justin McBeath where he highlights the critical role of Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) – such as IVCC – in bringing forward life-changing innovations for the elimination of diseases such as malaria. In the essay he writes:

PDPs serve as catalysts for innovation and progress. They bridge the gap between scientific discovery and tangible solutions, driving research and development efforts that address […] health threats.   To eradicate malaria for good, PDPs like IVCC deserve support, so they can continue to deliver the innovative tools that can finally put malaria into retreat.

To read Justin’s full essay and all the contributions by Gavi and The Global Fund; Labour MPs and parliamentary candidates; scientists and researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Medicines for Malaria Venture; and youth activists and community health workers from endemic countries, visit the Malaria No More UK website to download the report.

In March 2024, the IVCC Technical Team welcomed Sephora Koudou for a week-long work experience at our Liverpool office. During this period, she engaged with multiple teams, gaining valuable insights into the global impact of malaria and the crucial role of vector control tools in preventing transmission and saving lives. In this blog post, Sephora shares her experiences and key takeaways from her time at IVCC.

My work experience at IVCC was informative and eventful. I spent time talking with IVCC team members one-on-one and understanding how each of their roles plays an important part in the work of IVCC. I gained valuable insights into their careers in a nonprofit organization and learned how fulfilling it is for them to know that their innovative solutions save and change lives.

During the week, I had the opportunity to visit the Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment (LITE) facilities to see the mosquitoes more up close. It was very exciting to dissect the mosquitoes identifying the different parts and to observe the technicians test the different insecticides at different concentrations and on different colonies of mosquitoes. I learnt how quickly mosquitoes breed giving me an idea of how diseases such as malaria and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) can spread quickly, causing outbreaks. This helped me better understand IVCC’s mission: by building partnerships, they enable the creation of innovative solutions to address the evolving challenges of vector control with the support of their funding partners (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UKAID, USAID, The Australian Government, The Global Fund, UNITAID, and Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency.

From my experience at the IVCC and talking one on one I have learnt that it’s a very rewarding and fascinating job as working here you are helping to save the lives of vulnerable populations and build relationships with endemic countries, manufacturers and funders also increase prosperity in those developing countries. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) has helped strengthen institutions research capacities and help people develop technical skills which can be applied to furthering their education to Phds etc…

Without the work of nonprofit organisations like IVCC, malaria would still be a problem and people would still be ignorant about the resistance of mosquitoes which would continue to cause cases. IVCC has come up with many innovative solutions to control the target vector (mosquitoes) with solutions such as: insecticide treated nets (ITNs), Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSB), IRS sprays, etc.…, with many out on the market also.

Personally, throughout my week of work experience I have gained more insight for my future deciding between a more scientific or business route. It has been useful to give me an experience of an active work life and help me make an informed decision for my career path.

By Sephora Koudou

Along with our colleagues from Malaria No More UK, GSK, Jenner Institute and Medicines for Malaria Venture, IVCC is proud to have contributed to a letter in the New Statesman, which sets out how the UK can end malaria & help save millions of lives.

The piece highlights how maintaining momentum is a challenge in the face of a storm of competing global priorities and health challenges. But advances in game-changing new tools such as next-generation insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and malaria vaccines mean malaria can and will be consigned to the history books in our lifetimes .

For the greatest impact, interventions must be combined with other interventions as part of a toolbox approach. Dual active ingredient ITNs, for example, adapted to overcome mosquito resistance, have protected more than 60 million people and are one of a number of ways of reducing the impact of mosquitos themselves.

Read the full op-ed here: https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/healthcare/public-health/2024/04/uk-scientists-malaria-disease-public-health-malaria-no-more

Duke University and US Government relations firm DC Legislative and Regulatory Services co-sponsored a Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV) stakeholder event in Washington DC on 28^th February, 2024.  The purpose of the meeting was to explain and discuss the December 2023 Pesticide Registration (PR) notice published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the VERV program.

Held at the Duke University’s “Duke in DC” office on Pennsylvania Avenue, the event was attended by the EPA, the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), the agrochemical industry and other private and public sector organisations, including the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA).  All are stakeholders in the development of innovative vector control tools to support malaria eradication.

Jeff Moe, adjunct professor at the Duke Global Health Institute, and a co-author of the 2017 Health Affairs article which proposed VERV, opened the event by reflecting on the successful introduction of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Priority Review Voucher (PRV) programme in 2007: “PRV had a positive impact on the development of treatments with limited profitability for neglected tropical diseases. The VERV programme can, like PRV, stimulate the development of innovative vector control solutions to help us better control, and hopefully eradicate, diseases such as malaria.”

Chris Larkin, Director of Operations and Communications at IVCC, who took part in a panel session, added: “Incentives like the VERV program are needed to ensure that innovative vector control tools are developed and made available with new modes of action to help address the threat of insecticide resistance which is critical for the fight against diseases such as malaria which still claim over 600,000 lives every year.”

Participants heard from EPA representatives including Susan Jennings (Senior Advisor for Public Health, Office of Pesticide Programs), Stephen Scheibel (Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) Coordinator,) and Billy Smith (Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs).  They described the operation of the VERV program including the eligibility criteria to receive a VERV award.  Jennings explained that to be eligible for a voucher, active ingredients must demonstrate efficacy against insecticide-resistant mosquitos (per efficacy guidelines), have a novel or unique mechanism different from other insecticides already registered by the agency for mosquito control, and target mosquitos which transmit disease.

Jennings added that, whilst active ingredients must not be contained in any EPA registered pesticide product, a registrant may petition the EPA to issue a voucher for a repurposed agricultural insecticide by demonstrating a significant public health benefit.

Jennings also highlighted that any novel mode of action will be assessed on case by basis by the Office of Pesticide Program (OPP) through the consideration of factors such as:

• The mechanism targets new or different receptors
• The pesticide is in a new or different chemical class classification by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee
• The mechanism uses special approach such as interrupting behaviour, targeting different life stages, or prohibiting reproduction.

Full details of the EPA VERV program can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/vector-expedited-review-voucher-verv-program

www.ivcc.com/vector-control/vector-expedited-review-voucher-verv/

www.vectorvoucher.info