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

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

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

IVCC was delighted to welcome a delegation from the Labour Party, including Kim Johnson MP, Paula Barker MP, and Dr Zubir Ahmed a Labour PPC to Liverpool to meet representatives from IVCC and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).

Accompanied by Astrid Bonfield, CEO of Malaria No More UK and Anyika Onuora, Olympic athlete and Malaria No More UK ambassador and staff from both LSTM and IVCC, the Labour Party delegation heard about the innovative vector control pipeline that IVCC is developing. For example, the impact of IVCC’s long held strategic aim to bring new active ingredients (AIs) to the insecticide-treated net (ITN) market was highlighted by the evidence and policy endorsement of BASF’s Interceptor® G2.

The group also heard about evidence developed on the efficacy of outdoor tools by Project Bite Interruption Toward Elimination (BITE) and Newly Adapted Tools Network Against vector-borne disease Transmission (NATNAT) has enhanced the evidence base for these new product categories, through the Indo-Pacific Initiative (IPI.

These, and other success storied, showcased the importance of collaborative working and how the commitment of our partners from industry, academia, the public sector, and advocacy, make life-saving vector control possible.

The guests also visited the Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment (LITE) which supports the testing of insecticide-based products for commercial partners against insecticide-resistant colonies.  LITE maintains a range of insecticide susceptible and resistant colonies of mosquitoes and provides a range of approaches for insecticide efficacy testing. The guests closed the day with a visit to LSTM’s venom unit which houses the largest and most diverse collection of tropical venomous snakes in the UK and leads pioneering research into a universal anti-venom and improvements in the efficacy, affordability and safety of snakebite treatments.

Photo caption: The delegation poses at the entrance of the LSTM buildings.

From left to right: David Lalloo (LSTM Director), Paula Barker MP, Dr Zubir Ahmed, Astrid Bonfield (Malaria No More UK CEO), Anyika Onuora, Professor Martin James Donnelly (Head of Vector Biology Department, LSTM), Justin McBeath (IVCC CEO) and Kim Johnson MP.

Credit: LSTM/ Alejandra Cardona-Mayorga

At a series of events in late September and early October, Malaria No More UK brought together leading scientists, innovators and policymakers to celebrate the work and role of science and innovation in the global fight against malaria.

First, IVCC attended a networking reception at this year’s Conservative Party Conference (Manchester, 1st to 4th October 2023). During the event, IVCC engaged in conversations with Andrew Mitchell (MP), Minister of State for Development and Africa, and Astrid Bonfield, CEO of Malaria No More UK. IVCC emphasized the critical importance of vector control innovation and product development partnerships. These collaborations are essential in addressing the emerging threat of insecticide resistance, which is reducing the efficacy of established tools.

The following week, IVCC CEO Justin MacBeath participated in roundtable event discussion the future of global health. Against the backdrop of the Labour Party Conference (Liverpool, 8^th to 11^th October) Malaria No More UK convened Labour MPs, Labour candidates, academics, scientists, and industry representatives. Justin highlighted the crucial role of Product Development Partnerships in creating new vector control tools and ensuring fair access for vulnerable populations.

It was followed by Global Health Networking Reception, hosted by STOPAIDS and Malaria No More UK. Virendra Sharma (MP) opened the event, alongside Astrid Bonfield who showcased the Finish the Job campaign: urging decision makers to commit to ending malaria in our lifetimes. Anyika Onoura, Team BG World & Olympic medallist, shared her experience of falling ill with malaria ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics and emphasized the need for ongoing investment to end malaria.

IVCC CEO, Justin MacBeath at the Malaria No More UK Labour Party Conference breakfast roundtable. Image credit: Malaria No More UK.

From left to right: Catherine West (MP), Anyika Onoura and Virendra Sharma (MP) at the Global Health Networking Reception. Image credit: Malaria No More UK.