Welcome to APMEN TechTalks. Series of Webinars design to facilitate information sharing and co-learning around vector control topics.

Sampling methods for adult malaria vectors

The Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vector Control Working Group is hosting a series of vector-related webinars to keep the elimination momentum.  Vector Control remains the single most effective means for combating malaria. This is mostly done by way of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN’s) and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). To implement effective vector control you need to know which vector species are present in your area, and their abundance. This is done by way of vector surveillance and involves trapping mosquitoes. Historically, the “Gold Standard” for catching malaria vectors has been Human Landing Catches, but increasingly there is a reluctance to using this because of the increasing risk of arboviral infections and other ethical issues. This Webinar explores alternative ways to conduct vector surveillance and the relative efficiencies of these methods.

Topics

The efficiency of Cow-baited net traps in sampling malaria vector diversity and abundance by Dr. Brandy St. Laurent, Staff Scientist, Wellcome Sanger Institute

Comparative efficiency of Double Net Trap and Human Decoy Trap relative to Human Landing Catches by Professor Theeraphap Chareonviriyaphap, Head, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Comparing malaria vector captures from cow- and human- baited traps by Dr Amelie Vantaux, Contractual researcher, Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia

Moderated by Dr Leo Braack, Technical Lead (APMEN Vector Control Working Group), Senior Vector Control Specialist, Malaria Consortium, Bangkok, Thailand

Presentations and Q&A answered by panelists can be downloaded below

Countries in the Asia Pacific region have done extremely well in achieving impressing levels of malaria reduction, but many still face the challenges of pernicious residual malaria. In Greater Mekong Subregion, much of this remaining malaria occurs within remote forested areas among forest-goers and mobile populations, where transmission happens outdoors. In these situations, bed nets and indoor spraying are not effective. Much has been published and debated on the subject but remains as intractable a challenge as ever. What to do about it?

Topics

Diverse challenges and solutions for elimination of residual malaria transmission in South East Asia by Dr . Bill Hawley, Chief, Entomology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, U.S. CDC

Bill Hawley is currently Chief, Entomology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, at the US CDC.  He has a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Oregon and an MPH from Emory University.  He is the former Country Director, US CDC in Indonesia (4 years) and Malaria Program Officer, UNICEF Indonesia (4 years).  Prior to his time in Indonesia, he carried out operational research on malaria control in western Kenya with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (6 years).  More recently, he has supported malaria control and elimination efforts in Nigeria, Myanmar, and Indonesia. He began his career as a biologist and durian connoisseur teaching Biology and Mathematics in a Malaysian High School (Sekolah Menengah Sains Trengganu) in the late 1970s.  He has published over 100 papers on mosquitoes, malaria, and public health program implementation.

Residual malaria transmission in Greater Mekong Sub region: Role of Public-Private Sector by Dr. Jeffrey Hii, WHO Malaria Scientist (Retired), APMEN VCWG Technical Lead (Former)

Jeffrey Hii has a PhD in biosystematics and genetics of Anopheles dirus-balabacensis complex from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a retired WHO Malaria Scientist, previous technical lead of APMEN Vector Control Working Group, former Senior Vector Control specialist, (Malaria Consortium), Adjunct Research Fellow (James Cook University), and medical entomologist in the Malaysian NMCP (Rancangan Kawalan Penyakit Bawaan Vektor, Sabah). Prior to his time in Greater Mekong Subregion, he conducted operational research on vector ecology, malaria transmission dynamics, appropriate technology for vector control, lymphatic filariasis and dengue control in Papua New Guinea, East Malaysia, Philippines, Nepal, and the Solomon Islands. He enjoys photography, community gardening and exotic tropical fruits; and is a firm believer of pro-active community-based vector control. He has published over 90 papers on mosquitoes, malaria, dengue and lymphatic filariasis.

Plasmodium knowlesi and forest-goers: What’s next? by Dr. Indra Vythilingam, Professor, Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya

Indra Vythilingam (PhD) is currently a Professor in the Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She worked as a Principal Research Scientist, in Environmental Health Institute, Singapore and in the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur. She has contributed vastly to the field of vector biology and control for the past 30 years. She incriminated the vectors of simian malaria in Malaysia and continues to work on it. Her work will be the road map for the next generation of malaria parasites which will be affecting humans after the elimination of human malaria. She was awarded the Sandosham Gold medal in 2007 by the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine for her contribution towards parasitology and Tropical Medicine. In 2017 she received Malaysia’s Research Star Award for outstanding national research in Tropical diseases from the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and Elsevier.

Defining a strategy to prevent forest malaria: a prophylaxis trial in northeastern Cambodia by Dr. Rupam Tripura, Researcher, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit

Rupam Tripura has been working as a clinical researcher based at the research stations in Cambodia with Mahidol-Oxford Topical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Bangkok Thailand since 2008. He completed MBBS at Chittagong Medical College, Bangladesh, in 2001, and obtained his PhD in 2018 at University of Amsterdam on Thesis “The asymptomatic parasite reservoir and targeted mass drug administration in the context of accelerated malaria elimination in western Cambodia”. The focus of his work has been to conduct clinical trials to understand the nature of drug-resistant P. falciparum malaria in western Cambodia and to develop treatment regimens, and strategies to combat the spread of resistance. He conducted a series of studies in Cambodia on drug efficacy trials, epidemiology of asymptomatic malaria and the evaluation of mass drug administration as a strategy to eliminate drug resistant P. falciparum malaria.

Bednets and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) have been the mainstay interventions against malaria in recent decades. Together, these tools have translated in dramatic reductions in global malaria cases. Many nations approaching the pre-elimination phase still have residual malaria, largely as a result of outdoor transmission. While bednets and IRS provide a high level of protection indoors, if properly used, no vector control tools have been found to provide similar levels of protection against outdoor biting mosquitoes in a cost-effective, practical and scalable manner. To address outdoor-biting vectors and residual malaria, we need to find methods to reduce contact between humans and mosquitoes outside the home, either by reducing vector populations, or through personal protection. This webinar will examine some of the options receiving attention as potential useful tools.

Topics and speakers

Endectocides for Malaria Elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion by Dr Kevin Kobylinski

Dr Kevin Kobylinski is a Medical Entomologist based at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Entomology. He has a PhD in Microbiology from Colorado State University and an MS in Medical Entomology from the University of Florida. He has spent the last several years developing the concept of ivermectin mass drug administration for malaria parasite transmission suppression, with keen interest on integration of malaria and neglected tropical disease control efforts. During his PhD he demonstrated the impact of ivermectin mass drug administration on malaria transmission in Southeastern Senegal. He has characterized the ivermectin susceptibility and sporontocidal impact on important Anopheles from the Greater Mekong Subregion, Africa, and South America in laboratory studies and clinical trials, and is collaborating with Mahidol University to evaluate the impact of ivermectin mass drug administration on Plasmodium transmission in Southern Thailand.

Transfluthrin-treated products for protection against outdoor-biting mosquitoes by Lina Finda

Lina Finda is a research scientist at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania. She received her BSc in Biochemistry and Biology/Anthropology from Western Washington University (USA) in 2010, and in 2014 received a Masters of Public Health with dual concentrations in Maternal and Child Health and Health Education and Promotion, from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (USA). Ms. Finda joined Ifakara Health Institute on 2015 and since then she has been working on several project to investigate the magnitude and drivers of malaria transmission, and to understand the interactions between Malaria vectors and humans. Ms. Finda also works as a liaison and disseminator between the Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara office, and its surrounding community. Ms. Finda is currently pursuing her PhD, registered at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Her research focuses on developing and testing effective stakeholder engagement models for novel technologies for malaria control. Her research is based in Tanzania.

ATSB^® Bait-Stations supporting Malaria elimination by Mr Amir Galili

Amir founded Westham in 2006 and currently serves as CEO. Prior to founding Westham, Amir was the founder and CEO of Trivnet, a micro-payment technology company. Amir has significant experience in product research and development. Amir holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University. 

Ever since the inception of knowledge-based malaria control more than a century ago, vector control has been the primary strategy for combatting malaria. In recent decades, the focus has been on the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) of insecticides. In Asia Pacific, much of the transmission occurs outdoors, and such outdoor transmission is a major driver of residual malaria. However, reducing historic emphasis of use of ITN and IRS risks resurgence of malaria due to resumption of high levels of indoor biting, so this has to continue. What is the current level of use of IRS as control tool, and of bed nets, and how are we doing in monitoring continued susceptibility of mosquitoes to insecticides?

Dr. Pradeep Srivastava is the former Head of the Division of Entomology & Vector Control, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) MoHFW, India.  Director: Absolute Absolute Human Care Foundation India. Co-Chair: APMEN VCWG. Doctorate in 1984 on Insecticide Residue Analysis from University of Allahabad. Elected as Life Member of Indian Society for Malaria and other Communicable Diseases (FISCD). Elected as member of Royal College of Entomological Society London  (FRES) in 1993.India nodal officer for elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis during 2004-2016. Adviser to WHO on many occasions for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis. Recipient of VestergaardFrandsen Award 2019 by National Academy of Vector Borne Diseases, India.

Dr. Tessa Knox is the WHO Advisor to the Vanuatu Ministry of Health on malaria and other vector-borne diseases. She holds a PhD in Tropical Public Health from the University of Queensland. Her work with WHO and earlier with academia and private sector has focussed on vector surveillance and control, mainly in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Pacific.

Prof. Theeraphap Chareonviriyaphap is Head of the Department of Entomology in the Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. His work is focused on blood-sucking insects affecting humans and livestock.  His current research topics include bionomics of vectors of human and livestock diseases, vector incrimination and vector competence studies; vector behavior in response to insecticides used in control interventions and in response to the use of repellents and candidate botanicals; biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance and some studies on vector population genetics.  One of his notable accomplishments is the patenting of the “Excito-Repellency Box” (PATENT N0. 19319 on Excito-Repellency Escape Chamber for Behavioral Test in Mosquito Vectors) which is considered as a highly useful tool in studying mosquito behavior involving different insecticides used in disease control programs.

Waging a malaria elimination campaign without community support is like fighting a battle with one arm tied behind your back. We need the people who bear the brunt of malaria to understand what elimination program objectives are, and gain their help to identify, deliver and assess solutions likely to achieve these objectives. To successfully prevent malaria and other vector borne diseases, communities at-risk need to be able to access the right tools, understand the benefits of using or facilitating (in the case of indoor residual spraying) vector control methods, seek diagnosis for fever and complete treatment for confirmed cases. As key stakeholders committed to eliminating malaria in Asia Pacific, we need to better understand how to effectively engage communities to achieve vector control program and elimination objectives. These are the issues we will explore during the next APMEN TechTalks, lessons and insights from experienced persons in this field. It is a subject we should all learn about.

Professor Koen Peeters

Prof. Koen Peeters is tenure-track professor and heads the Unit of Medical Anthropology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Prof Peeters is also a senior lecturer at the Nagasaki University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health. He holds a PhD in social and cultural anthropology and has conducted extensive research on sociocultural factors related to infectious disease transmission dynamics, perceptions on health and illness, and their impact on the effectiveness of prevention, control and elimination strategies. His professional experience is characterized by high international mobility and extensive field research in low-income countries, including West Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia

Josselyn Neukom, APMEN/APLMA Consultant: Josselyn Neukom has 25 years of experience leading design, implementation and evaluation of malaria and other public health programs. An accomplished senior executive, Ms. Neukom has led cross-functional regional and national teams to improve access to and motivate use of game-changing medicines, diagnostic tests and health services to eliminate malaria, improve reproductive health, address malnutrition, stop tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and reduce non-communicable disease burden.  She has extensive experience co-creating malaria and other public health programs together with targeted communities.  Recently she has assisted manufacturers of innovative, new vector control products to understand and incorporate the needs and preferences of communities into product design as well as other aspects of their go-to-market and market access strategies.  Her technical expertise includes social and behavior change communication, digital health, social marketing and private sector engagement.  She has worked extensively in Asia Pacific, including the last 10 years based in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as experience in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.

Dr Than Naing Soe is the Director Health Literacy Promotion Unit (HLPU), Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar. He previously worked as Deputy Director of Vector Borne Diseases Control within the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Program at the Ministry of Health and Sports in Myanmar. In addition, he was the technical assistant to the Union Minister for Health and Sports in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. As deputy director and senior staff member of the Myanmar National Malaria Control Program, his efforts are centered on achieving malaria elimination in Myanmar and the Asia-Pacific region before 2030. Dr Soe has more than 18 years of experience as a government official and more than 10 years of experience in administration, technical logistics, management, and malaria control. In addition to national-level experience, Dr Soe has been involved in overseeing malaria control activities in many remote and hard-to-reach rural villages in Myanmar.

Global political and resource commitment to the goal of malaria eradication remains high, although significant shortfalls still exist to advance current progress towards eradication. Our impact on malaria reduction has largely stalled, stuck on a plateau from where a resurgence will surely happen if we lessen our current inputs into vector and parasite control. Impressive strides are being made towards malaria elimination in Asia, but Africa remains beset with high levels of malaria caseloads and mortalities. Why is this? Why, despite massive commitments of resources, are we not making the kinds of inroads into malaria reduction that we should? No doubt it relates in part to funding shortages, but more perniciously it also relates to shortfalls in skills capacity, effective tools to deal with shifting vector behaviour, insecticide resistance, drug resistance, programme implementation capacity, and so on. Vector control remains the single most effective strategy to reduce malaria, and in this webinar we look at some of the issues that impact on the ability of nations to effectively implement vector control.

Present status of vector surveillance in NMCP’s: indicators monitored, their use in decision making and why it matters

Prof. Tom Burkot, Australian Institute for Tropical Health & Medicine,, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

NMCP Capacity Strengths and limitations for vector surveillance

Dr. Tanya Russel, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Nextgen tools to improve NMCP vector surveillance

Dr Robert Farlow, CEO: R Falow Consulting LLC, Texas, USA

Many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have achieved impressive reductions in malaria burden, but persistent residual malaria caused in large part by outdoor-biting vectors pose a serious challenge to malaria elimination objectives. Repellent methods to reduce vector contact with humans offer a tantalizing approach to reduce transmission, and several different methods varying from topical applications, impregnated clothing, space-repellents and others have been tested. This webinar provides insights into these different applications and a platform for discussion.

Publications by Panelists

The impact of transfluthrin on the spatial repellency of the primary malaria mosquito vectors in Vietnam: Anopheles dirus and Anopheles minimus

Bicomponent fibres for controlled release of volatile mosquito repellents

Evaluation of personal protection afforded by repellent-treated sandals against mosquito bites in south-eastern Tanzania

Single blinded semi-field evaluation of MAÏA ® topical repellent ointment compared to unformulated 20% DEET against Anopheles gambiae , Anopheles arabiensis and Aedes aegypti in Tanzania

Mosquito repellents for malaria prevention

APMEN VCWG Journal Club is our new platform for information-sharing among APMEN partners. Through the Journal Club platform, we aim to bring you regular updates on recent publications relevant to malaria elimination in Asia-Pacific, by way of short presentations by authors of important relevant papers. 

Presentation file:

Panelists’ publications:

Mosquito Net Ownership, Utilization, and Preferences among Mobile and Migrant Populations Sleeping in Forests and Farms in Central Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Implementation and success factors from Thailand’s 1-3-7 surveillance strategy for malaria elimination

APMEN VCWG Journal Club is our new platform for information-sharing among APMEN partners. Through the Journal Club platform, we aim to bring you regular updates on recent publications relevant to malaria elimination in Asia-Pacific, by way of short presentations by authors of important relevant papers. 

Presentation file:

Panelists’ publications:

Ivermectin Treatment for Cattle Reduced the Survival of Two Malaria Vectors, Anopheles dirus and Anopheles epiroticus, Under Laboratory Conditions in Central Vietnam

Management of insecticides for use in disease vector control: Lessons from six countries in Asia and the Middle East

QnA document:

Additional document:

Vector Control has been our ‘Go-to’ primary tool against malaria for more than a century, but as countries get closer to Elimination and pockets of Residual Malaria frustrate our historic default approaches to combat malaria, we need to engage in more subtle and locally-targeted tactics. Pockets of sustained low-grade transmission need to be identified, an understanding developed of the specific causes perpetuating such transmission, and focal interventions targeting such gaps implemented. In these three presentations we look at different aspects of such a targeted, focal approach to addressing residual malaria to reach Elimination.

Presentation files:

Publications by Panelists:

Russell et al. Getting to zero: Micro-foci of malaria in the Solomon Islands requires stratified control. Malaria Journal 2021.

Rodríguez-Rodríguez D, Katusele M, Auwun A, Marem M, Robinson LJ, Laman M, Hetzel MW, Pulford J. Human Behavior, Livelihood, and Malaria Transmission in Two Sites of Papua New Guinea. The Journal of infectious diseases. 2021 May 1;223(Supplement_2):S171-86

Hsiang, Michelle S., Henry Ntuku, Kathryn W. Roberts, Mi-Suk Kang Dufour, Brooke Whittemore, Munyaradzi Tambo, Patrick McCreesh et al. Effectiveness of reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control to reduce malaria transmission in the low malaria-endemic setting of Namibia: a cluster-randomised controlled, open-label, two-by-two factorial design trial.

QnA Document

Since 2014, over two billion ITNs were distributed globally. Since their introductions, studies have found that ITNs are effective in averting malaria cases and deaths, making them one of the cost-effective preventative measures ever created in malaria history. With the proven impact, donors and multilateral organizations poured in investments for global scale-up, making them public goods, accessible by all people affected by malaria. What accompanied these global roll-outs are the threats, biological threats such as insecticidal treated nets, and non-biological threats such as human adoption. Biological challenges are equally important as non-biological ones in order to keep ITNs effective. Studies with representative samples consistently show tapering off of net distribution, net ownership by household, net ownership by the individual, and consistent use of nets. In low transmission settings, particularly in Asia Pacific region, countries are adopting more targeted distribution strategies rather than blanketed approach, potentially leaving some population uncovered. Additionally, ITNs are showing varying degrees of durability and bio efficacy in the field. In this webinar, we will approach following questions around non-biological threats to effectiveness of ITNs and ways to mitigate them.

Speakers

Dr Khin Mon Mon, M.B.B. S; M.Med.Sc (Preventive & Tropical Medicine) Senior Technical Director, URC-Defeat Malaria, Myanmar worked previously under Department of Health, Ministry of Health in Myanmar from 1978 to 2011, as a Medical Officer in hospitals and Maternal and Child Health for 7 years and the rest of her service was in Vector Borne Diseases Control (VBDC) as a Team Leader in States/ Regions, as a Programme Manager of Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (2000-2007), as Programme Manager of Malaria and retired as Director (Malaria) in 2011. During her time in VBDC she had attended the trainings and meetings on all vector borne diseases including training on Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) by WHO. After retirement, working as a Free Lance Consultant (VBDC) and she has been keeping in touch with successive Programme Managers and has assisted the National VBDC programme as a core-member of Technical Strategic Group (TSG) (Malaria) and National Task Force for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis. During her consultancy period she has been working with WHO, the National and International NGOs for development of guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, IEC materials on malaria, LF and Dengue. She also conducted as a facilitator for trainings on malaria for the staffs of VBDC, private sectors and INGOs. She has been working with URC- Defeat Malaria as Senior Technical Director at Yangon, Myanmar since June 2020.

Dr Hannah Koenker, PhD, MPH is the Technical Director at Tropical Health LLP. Her work has focused on design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning for malaria programmes using both quantitative and qualitative methods to answer key operational questions. She has a PhD in Epidemiology from the SwissTPH at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Her work has contributed to global policy on insecticide-treated net distribution and use. Her research focuses on appropriate quantification for ITN distribution through multiple channels, and on issues related to ITN use, including durability, net care, user preferences, behaviour change, and household decision-making and prioritization. As Project Director of PMI VectorWorks (2014-2019), she designed and developed www.itnuse.org, which summarizes trends in ITN use over time, and www.cdtoolkit.org, an online toolkit for planning continuous distribution of ITNs.

Angus Spiers, M.Sc, PhD, Director of Innovation to Impact (I2I), UK has worked for almost 20 years planning, developing and implementing malaria and child health programs throughout Africa and SE Asia. His work has taken him from emergency response in Sierra Leone, Liberia latterly to Angola, where he led the establishment of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in country before joining UNICEF as a Regional Malaria Advisor in Kenya. He later moved to Population Services International (PSI) where, as Deputy Director of the Malaria and Child Survival department, played a leading role in diversifying PSI’s malaria portfolio to integrate broader child health issues through public and private channels. Angus currently leads the Innovation to Impact (I2I) program which was established to streamline access to new vector control tools. Since its inception, i2i has worked closely with WHO prequalification and other vector control stakeholders and is now focused on improving vector control data collection and country access to new tools. Angus has an MSc in Tropical Parasitology and PhD in Malaria Vector Biology from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Presentation files:

Malaria control and elimination is based on an understanding of where malaria is occurring, what are the case numbers, what are the factors contributing to transmission, and effectively tracking changes in these parameters. This means having effective surveillance systems in place, for monitoring case incidence, vector status, case management, and responding to indicators suggesting changes of concern. In this webinar we will cover several of the aspects that are important in ensuring effective surveillance, which is the basis for effective malaria control and elimination.

• Designing Sentinel Networks for vector-borne disease surveillance: Dr Camille Guillot, Residency in public health and preventative medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
• Village-level malaria heterogeneity and household risk factors: Prof Leanne Robinson, Programme Director, Health Security, Burnet Institute, Australia
• Vector surveillance and control response in India, Dr Susanta Ghosh, Former Scientist G., ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, India

Speakers:

Dr Camille Guillot. Camille graduated from Edinburgh Medical School in 2016, after completing a BSc in zoology. She returned to Canada to undertake a PhD in epidemiology at the faculty of veterinary medecine, Université de Montréal, working on surveillance of Lyme disease. Whilst completing her PhD, she began a residency in public health and preventative medecine at the Université de Sherbrooke. She is particularly interested in surveillance of zoonoses using a One Health approach.

Professor Leanne Robinson. Professor Leanne Robinson is an NHMRC Fellow and Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute in Australia, and is Program Director of Health Security and Head of the Vector Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health Group. She holds Adjunct appointments at the PNG Institute of Medical Research, WEHI, University of Melbourne and Monash University. Leanne is a recognised expert in malaria epidemiology and implementation research for the control and elimination of malaria and neglected tropical diseases. She is is Co-Program Director of several large vector-borne disease surveillance and implementation research programs – STRIVE PNG (DFAT CHS), NATNAT (IVCC/DFAT CHS), PAVE (UNITAID) and the Asia-Pacific International Centre of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR; NIH). A major focus of the NIH ICEMR program of work that PNGIMR has been leading in PNG for more than a decade is investigating the changing epidemiology of malaria transmission, in particular the extent and nature of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in malaria infection risk and identifying key household and individual level risk factors to guide future interventions and accelerate control efforts.

Dr Susanta Kumar Ghosh. Dr Ghosh is a retired Director-level scientist and previous Head of the India ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Bangalore Field Unit. He has more than 40 years of experience in multiple malaria-related fields but also lymphatic filariasis and arboviruses. His depth of experience and scientific recognition is reflected in having 125 peer-reviewed publications to his credit and an H-factor of 32. He remains an Editorial Board Member of five international Journals, and is still actively contributing as Adjunct Professor at NITTE University and also University of Mangalore.

Presentation file:

The challenge to address outdoor-biting mosquitoes remains a tough nut to crack, and is a strong contributor to residual malaria. Many repellent products do work well, but are associated with factors that detract from user-acceptance, such as cost-issues, unpleasant greasy or oily deposits in topical applications, inadequate space-diffusion in spatial repellents, short-lived repellent-period, and others. In this webinar, we will explore new products, and also new attractants that may be useful for trap collections.

Speakers

• Dani Lucas Barbosa, Researcher, the University of Zurich
• Dae-Yun Kim, Postdoctoral research fellow, Kasetsart University Thailand
• Thomas Putzer, Head, Base of the Pyramid Group, SC Johnson

Presentation files

Malaria vector larval source management was implemented with great success in the early-20th century, amongst other impacts strongly contributing to enabling the construction of the Panama Canal. Then we moved to DDT, and finally we embraced bednets (and partly IRS). Given our struggles to breach residual malaria and reach Elimination, is it time to once again embrace larval source management more enthusiastically?

Speakers

• Kallista Chan, PhD candidate, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Ravindra Jayanetti, Former District Programme Manager, Anti Malaria Campaign, Sri Lanka
• Susanta Kumar Ghosh, Former Scientist G and Head, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, India

Presentation files

Vector Control has been our primary tool to combat malaria for well over a century, and in recent decades the focus has been on Insecticide-Treated Bednets. Multiple challenges beset the efficiency, uptake and durability of these nets, and gives rise to partial failures in transmission reduction. This webinar will explore all of these issues.

Speakers:

Dr Ole Skovmand

Independent Consultant, MCC47, France

Prof Stephen Russell

Founder and Technical Director,

Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute, Ltd, United Kingdom

Tim Freeman

Programme Manager

Rotarians Against Malaria, Papua New Guinea

Thuan Thi Nguyen

PhD Candidate,

Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp Belgium NIMPE, Vietnam

Some other important references:

Why using bed nets is a challenge among minority populations in Central Vietnam. Click here to access the publication

Decreased motivation in the use of insecticide-treated nets in a malaria-endemic area in Burkina Faso. Click here to access the publication

WHO Guidelines for Malaria (3 June 2022). Access here

The IVCC Indo Pacific Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has established partnerships to build capacities for a staged approach to develop, test and make accessible an expanded vector control toolbox in the region.

In the GMS, the BITE project led by UCSF Malaria Elimination Initiative with University of Notre Dame, AFRIMS, Kasetsart University, and the Cambodia CNM, is developing and evaluating “Forest Packs” for forest-exposed populations that includes topical and spatial repellents and insecticide treated clothing. 

Capacities for a similar staged approach for evidence generation are being developed in PNG through the NATNAT project led by the PNG Institute of Medical Research with Burnet Institute and James Cook University focused on testing the efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of complimenting LLIN distribution with IRS, larval source management and spatial repellents for the village peri-domestic environment.

These two projects are providing data for a complementary transmission modelling project by teams at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Imperial College London.

Partnering across the public and private sectors, IVCC will continue to build capacity for evidence generation and improved access to cost-effective vector control products and strategies to fight growing threats of mosquito-borne diseases in the Indo Pacific.

Speakers:

Frederick Yeomans

Project Manager, ATSB and Indo-Pacific Initiative, IVCC

Prof Neil Lobo

Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame

Rebecca J Vinit

Senior Scientific Officer, Vector-borne Disease Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research

Speakers:

Michelle Katusele, Senior Scientific Officer VBD Unit, PNG IMR

Nigel Beebe, Assoc Prof, School of Biological Sciences & CSIRO University of Queensland, Australia.

Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, Director of Absolute Human Care (AHC) Foundation

Speakers:

Indra Vythilingam, Professor, Department of Parasitology University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Bram van de Straat, Medical Entomologist/PhD Student at Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine James Cook University, Australia.

Ibrahim Bin Sa’id, Lecturer, Institute for Research and Community Services, IAIN Kediri, Indonesia.

Speakers:

Dr Suparat Phuanukoonnon, Lecturer, Mahidol University, Thailand

Josselyn Neukom, Senior Vice President, SwipeRx Viet Nam & RAI3 CSO/Community Rep Regional Steering Committee

Dr Bart Knols, Co-founder, Dutch Malaria Foundation, Malaria World

Speakers:

Prof Basil Brooke, Head of Vector Control Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa

Dr Jaishree Raman, Head of Laboratory for Antimalarial Resistance Monitoring and Malaria Operational Research, South Africa

Dr Champa Aluthweera, Director of Anti Malaria Campaign, MoH Sri Lanka

Dr Kim Lindblade, Technical Director, PMI Insights, Senior Technical Advisor PATH, Switzerland

Dr Elkhan Gasimov, Head of Malaria Elimination Unit GMP WHO, Switzerland

Speakers:

Dr Xiao Hong Li, Technical Officer, Elimination, Global Malaria Programme, WHO Geneva

Dr Prayuth Sudathip, Deputy Director, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Thailand

Dr Pradeep Srivastava, Former Joint Director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, India

Moderator:

Dr Leo Braack, Senior Vector Control Specialist, Malaria Consortium, and Co-Chair APMEN VCWG

Speakers/Panellists

• Dr Kate Kolaczinski, Manager, Malaria Disease Team, Global Fund, Geneva, Switzerland
• Dr Nora Schmit, Research Associate, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
• Dr Hannah Koenker, Technical Director, Tropical Health LLP, United States of America

Moderator

Dr Leo Braack, Senior Vector Control Specialist, Malaria Consortium, and Co-Chair APMEN VCWG