The stakeholders including global health company, Vestergaard, formed part of a trilogy of panel discussions, hosted by The Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa and its partners to discuss lessons and opportunities in the fight against malaria in Africa.
Joos also pointed out that innovative companies are acutely aware of the investments and risks required to move from basic research to product development. What has proven to be a greater challenge is progressing from product prequalification to full-scale implementation. Strategic procurement contracts and supportive measures to for innovative products to be adopted at scale are essential to support the rollout of next generation nets.
Increased investments into product efficacy data should provide countries with substantiated data sets confirming where and when to deploy the most effective products for the greatest impact. In the case of pyrethroid- piperonyl butoxide nets, it is even more important to evaluate the performance of the nets in the field, through a systematic post-market surveillance programme.
Finally, innovation requires partnerships, not only in product development, but also in ways that ensure the people who need them use effective tools. Joos highlighted how digital tools could help us interact with end-users and provide insights into how best to support the use and durability of bednets.