Rationale 

Vector control has been shown to achieve quick and remarkable reductions in malaria transmission in many eco-epidemiological settings. It remains key to achieving malaria elimination.

Global malaria progress has stalled in recent years, and a “business as usual” approach will take countries and their development partners’ further off course. In the 2023 world malaria report, climate change was identified as a major threat to progress against malaria, which only further compounds the threats of insecticide resistance in vector mosquitoes, limitations around financial support, gaps in the vector control toolbox and challenges for National Programs to meet the needs of entomological monitoring with scarce resources available. There is an urgent need for innovation and new tools to expand the current intervention paradigms and increase opportunities for more cost-effective and sustainable vector control.

The VCWG therefore promotes basic research and development into new tools, and the translation of vector control priorities into operational research, combining the input of its constituent national and international academia/research and private sector development partners. Through increased collaboration with Regional Networks the VCWG ensures that their specific needs are fully considered in deliberations on global malaria strategies.

Within a resource constrained environment, knowledge sharing is key. The diversity of the VCWG membership allows for rich dialogue and mutual learning for the development of more robust and adaptive responses to challenges associated with enhancing the impact of core interventions (ITNs and IRS), expanding the vector control toolbox and implementing the WHO Global Vector Control Response. The VCWG provides a forum where all the partners from country programs, international organisations, academia, the private sector and others, can come together to build consensus on the challenges, gaps and opportunities in vector control.