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.

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.

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