MMV joins the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN)
MMV and APMEN partner to support the goal of a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030. The APMEN Network consists of 17 Country Partners in the region, each of whose subnational or national goals is to become malaria-free. By joining APMEN, MMV becomes the Network’s 35th partner institution.
The APMEN-MMV partnership links technical expertise in drug innovation with a country-led network that provides an interface between malaria programmes and the implementing partners. MMV has previously collaborated with APMEN by participating actively in annual meetings, and remains active in both the APMEN Vivax and Surveillance & Response Working Groups. MMV continues to provide technical expertise on current tools under development, assists with advocacy efforts, and helps build the expertise and human resource capacity to support the drug components for malaria elimination within the region.
“Becoming a partner institution of APMEN is a natural progression of MMV’s support of APMEN’s critical work since its very inception,” said Dr David Reddy, CEO of MMV. “A focus on P.vivax malaria, elimination initiatives and keeping resistance at bay is vital if the region is to be malaria-free by 2030. Failing to protect drug efficacy will negate the huge gains made in global malaria control and will affect Asia’s growth, prosperity and health security. We must work towards ensuring malaria resurgence does not occur in countries which are on the verge of eliminating the disease. We look forward to collaborating closely with APMEN on our joint objectives to eliminate and ultimately eradicate malaria.”
Over the years MMV has worked with national malaria control programmes and research institutions in several countries in the region on the development of new antimalarials, including DHA-piperaquine and pyronaridine-artesunate. Currently, potential single-dose treatments for P. vivax radical cure and P. falciparum malaria are being clinically tested in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.
Another MMV project in the region seeks to improve case management in close collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme and the National Malaria Research Institute of India, the newest APMEN Country Partner.
To learn more information on the important role of the APMEN Partner Institutions and activities, visit the APMEN website.