I2I is pleased to announce the launch of the Methods Landscaping project on the I2I website this month. The I2I Methods Landscape is an ongoing project to review and document the current methods used to develop and assess tools across the vector control landscape.

Intended as a living document, the I2I Methods Landscape is a review of existing methods for evaluating vector control tools, with the scope currently extending to insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual sprays (IRS). With an increasing diversity of vector control tools and changes in vector populations, methodologies and guidelines that were previously considered robust have proven inadequate and require that we consider the appropriateness of chosen testing methods for the evolving vector control environment. The aim of the I2I Methods Landscape is to serve as a decision-making tool for researchers and product manufacturers to aid in selecting the best methods to generate the right data to answer a given question. As a living document, the Methods Landscape will continue to grow and evolve with ongoing work and as the vector landscape itself changes.

Through an interactive diagram on the I2I Methods Landscape main page, the viewer can select a category of vector control tools to access information on a range of test methods and associated reports and SOPs that are currently available. Each category contains a summary of all test methods: what their aim is, how they work practically, what documentation are available for them and to what level these methods have been validated.

Image of ‘Intervention classes with PQ listings for vector control’ subpage, accessed via the Methods Landscaping interactive main page.

I2I’s work includes surveying the current methods available for assessing vector control tools, during development, evaluation, post market monitoring and insecticide resistance monitoring, and in the vector control field more generally.  As part of the Methods Landscaping project, the I2I Methods Team have assessed and refined existing SOPs to provide an inventory of resources on vector control tool methodology. Additionally, within each category are Landscaping Reports, detailed documents that explain how to best interpret and use the data generated from different methodologies.

The aim is for there to be a clear, and logical resource that provides a pathway for understanding the range of vector control development and assessment methods and an accessible means of identifying appropriate and up-to-date SOPs for each method.

A publication on the creation and rationale behind the I2I Methods Landscape was published this week in Gates Open Research.

The Methods Landscape efforts are supported through a series of collaborations. As part of the initial efforts to compile the Methods Landscape, a consultation was carried out with members of the I2I industry group in 2021 to collect information from product developers and manufacturers on their experiences with vector control product evaluation and the methods used to generate data for this purpose. Their responses to questions around suitability of available methods, data requirements, endpoints of interest and challenges in data generation are compiled, anonymised by participant, in a report which is available here. A number of contributors have also contributed their expertise to the generation of the Landscaping Reports.

The process of generating the I2I Methods Landscape revealed a lack of validation for many commonly used vector control methods, and highlighted the need for improved protocols to enhance reliability and robustness of the data that is generated to make decisions in product development, evaluation, and implementation. This has allowed for the identification of priority activities and gaps in the evidence needed to ensure better methods are made available for vector control product evaluation.

I2I envisage that the Methods Landscape will serve as a decision-making tool for researchers and product manufacturers in selecting appropriate methods, and a means to prioritise investment in appropriate method development and validation by stakeholders including product developers, donors, and researchers.

“The fruit of considerable work by the I2I Methods Team and with input from many academic contributors and industry partners, I am excited to see the Methods Landscape launched on the website. As a living document, we will maintain the Landscape as a representation of the ‘state of the art’ in methods used in vector control and product evaluation, a resource for researchers, product developers and national control programmes to support the generation and interpretation of solid data for robust decision-making.” – Rosemary Lees, I2I Methods Validation Lead

The I2I Methods Landscape is a living document. Additional resources will be added as they are generated and become available, and as new methods are generated or further validated for the evaluation of existing and particularly novel vector control tools.

To access the I2I Methods Landscaping project: Methods Landscaping | (innovationtoimpact.org)

To access the publication on the I2I Methods Landscape: Better methods, better data: landscaping… | Gates Open Research

To access the I2I Industry Group Consultation Report: Resources | (innovationtoimpact.org)