On 30 October–1 November 2023, the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) convened to review updates and progress, and to provide guidance on thematic areas of work by the Global Malaria Programme. The meeting focused on the following topics: the Global Malaria Programme operational strategy 2024–2030; malaria vaccines R21/Matrix-M and RTS,S/AS01, the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) and status of malaria vaccine roll-out; guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained settings to achieve maximum impact; progress and challenges on subnational tailoring of interventions; comparative effectiveness in the context of the arrival of new vector control products; the “High burden to high impact” (HBHI) approach; the WHO guidelines for malaria; antimalarial drug resistance in Africa; and the Mekong Malaria Elimination programme.

On 18–20 April 2023, the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) convened to review updates and progress, and to provide guidance on thematic areas of work by the Global Malaria Programme. The meeting focused on the following topics: 1) the RBM Partnership to End Malaria evaluation of the “High burden to high impact” (HBHI) approach; 2) updates on the vector control, treatment and diagnostic recommendations in the WHO guidelines for malaria; 3) revisiting comparative effectiveness in the context of the arrival of new vector control products; 4) an update on certification of malaria elimination and the E-2025 Global Forum; 5) an update on the RTS,S/AS01 Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme and WHO evidence review for the R21/Matrix-M vaccine; 6) an update on the work areas of the Strategic Information for Response Unit; 7) a report from the technical consultation on the effectiveness of rectal artesunate (RAS) and field implementation manual; 8) a report from the technical consultation on community-based delivery of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp); 9) an update on the WHO/TDR field implementation manual for seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC); 10) an update on the Anopheles stephensi regional strategy; 11) an update on histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) gene deletions and global response plan; and 12) an update on antimalarial drug resistance in Africa.

On 4–7 October 2021, the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) convened virtually to review updates and progress, and to provide guidance on thematic areas of work by the Global Malaria Programme. The meeting focused on 8 topics in 5 open sessions: 1) “Rethinking Malaria”; 2) update on the technical consultation on non-inferiority evaluations of vector control tools; 3) a discussion on malaria re-bound; 4) an update on antimalarial drug resistance in Africa; 5) an update on rectal artesunate (RAS) and quality of care; 6) a review of the relationship between chemoprevention and drug resistance; 7) an update on the WHO guidelines for malaria; and 8) a joint session with the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) to review the evidence and consider a recommendation for broader use of the malaria vaccine.

On 4, 5 and 7 March 2024, the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) convened in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to review updates and progress, and to provide guidance on thematic areas of work by the Global Malaria Programme. The meeting focused on the following topics: malaria vaccine introduction and scale-up, and the Gavi-supported malaria learning agenda; the High burden to high impact (HBHI) approach; subnational tailoring; biological threats to vector control in Africa; the strategy to respond to antimalarial drug resistance in Africa; the development of guidelines recommendations on tafenoquine, primaquine and near-patient glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) diagnostic tests to support radical cure of Plasmodium vivax; and malaria elimination, including zoonotic malaria.

The aim of this protocol is to support the conduct of entomological comparative efficacy assessments for vector control products and the associated non-inferiority analysis. This evidence is used to inform discussions within the guidelines development context as to whether a new vector control product should be considered as covered by one or more existing WHO recommendations or not. Alternatively, the evidence may inform the extension of an existing WHO recommendation or the development of a new one, provided that non-inferiority is demonstrated.

The WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) recently reviewed the evidence from a large-scale study in 3 African countries deploying rectal artesunate under real-life conditions. This information note shares the findings of the study and possible implications for the use of RAS as pre-referral treatment for severe malaria, and makes concrete recommendations for countries to consider. The WHO Global Malaria Programme, in consultation with other relevant departments, will conduct a formal evidence review and develop detailed guidance on the conditions under which the use of this tool can be implemented safely and effectively. Such guidance will be shared with countries as soon as it becomes available.