The APMEN VCWG recognises that the path to elimination of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases requires appropriate, long-term investment in skills development and training for entomologists and vector control personnel. Tailored to meet the unique needs of each country programme within the Network, the VCWG works closely with staff across all levels of the health system to identify the various vector control challenges being faced, and establish and support a relevant research and training programme to mitigate these. Each of the activities of the VCWG is designed within a holistic approach, enhancing both the aims of the NMCPs and other partner institutions as well as providing participants the opportunity for personal skills development – an integral, though often neglected, aspect of successful disease management and control.

Building resilient and lasting solutions to disease control and elimination can only be achieved through robust and collaborative partnerships, including government and non-governmental institutions, academia, and industry bodies. Believing that an interdisciplinary approach can enable a more comprehensive, effective intervention package for malaria and other vector borne disease control, the VCWG works with personnel from across each of these sectors to develop and implement bespoke regional and country-specific technical trainings, field operational research activities, and cross-institutional Fellowships opportunities.

The interplay between human, environmental, and ecological conditions affects both the scope of, and potential for, vector-borne disease transmission: changes in either one of these elements can alter mosquito breeding habits and behaviours, which can reduce the efficacy of current tools to prevent and control the spread of disease. As this landscape changes, so does the need for tools and approaches that can meet and adapt to both current and anticipated vector control challenges. The VCWG works with country partners to identify where and how these changes are occurring, facilitates and supports field research activities to trial adapted and new tools, and advocates for the development and investment in more appropriate interventions and techniques relevant to each country setting.

Anticipating and preventing the transmission of vector-borne disease means ensuring that the best and latest information and guidance is readily available to those that need it the most. Through its technical assistance and training programmes, the VCWG works with partners to compile and translate technical guidance documents into practical, every-day approaches for NMCP staff across the Network, and across a range of different transmission settings. To facilitate this approach, the VCWG cultivates and showcases new research and best practices across all domains of vector control and entomology from across the Asia Pacific region, providing the opportunity for cross country and information exchange and discussion, as well practical learning opportunities with expert groups from around the world.

The eradication of malaria and other vector-borne disease is a multifaceted challenge that no single intervention alone can prevent: understanding the role of the mosquito vector in the disease transmission cycle is just one part of a much more complicated picture as countries continue on the road to elimination. Working side by side with regional partners in case management and treatment, surveillance, and epidemiology/anthropology, as well as its APMEN sister groups- the Surveillance and Response and Vivax Working Groups- the VCWG determines, with country partners, where shared challenges exist, and where opportunities for cross-synergy activities with complementary partners can be undertaken. Through this unified approach, the multiple challenges facing country partners can be better recognised, and the development of a comprehensive, and sustainable approach to disease management and control better established.