I2I was pleased to host a recent workshop in Nairobi, Kenya on coordination with the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and The African Union (AU). This gathering brought together stakeholders from National Malaria Control programmes from across Africa to discuss options for streamlining registration of vector control tools across the continent encompassing both traditional vector control approaches as well as new technologies such a gene drive and Wolbachia.

I2I Director, Angus Spiers, gave an overview of the regulatory landscape across the continent and identified key areas to focus efforts on strengthening regulatory capacity. Discussions also explored regional approaches for regulatory alignment and the potential for the introduction of the WHO Collaborative Registration Procedure following a presentation by WHO PQ acting Vector Control Team Lead, Dominic Schuler.

The output of the workshop was to develop the vector control section of the AU annual malaria report, calling on countries to strengthen regulatory alignment, develop actionable plans to streamline registration processes and promote greater collaboration, networking and capacity building for regulators.

I2I welcomes the support of ALMA, the AU and African country leadership in these efforts to ensure new, effective tools are available in a timely manner to those who need them most.