Table 1 Summary of priority areas and recommendations for VCWG support as identified by key representatives from partner organisations

Group 1: Eliminated/elimination goal 2020 (Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Malaysia, Bhutan)

Technical:

 Maintain knowledge, skills, and commitment of staff in low-transmission settings. Competing health priorities a significant issue (funding and skill set)

 Reorient role of national and local entomologists from a largely administrative to more technical role

 Leverage current entomological capacity for arbovirus surveillance to sustain malaria activities

 Upskilling cadres at lower end of health system in basic entomological skills

 Engage communities in appropriate, low-resource surveillance and control strategies

 Develop checklist of minimal requirements for entomological surveillance at the local and national level

 Provide trainings for tailored IR surveillance, morphological (identification and analysis techniques)

 Facilitate south-south trainings: capitalise on lessons learned from near elimination/elimination country/settings

 Support training on basic vector bionomics studies

 Support research collaborations, e.g. for IR mechanics

 Support regional short courses, both face-to-face and virtual (regional, global)

 Help to develop techniques to track exported cases and facilitate communication between relevant bodies

Group 2: Elimination goals 2021–27 (Laos, Nepal, Cambodia (pf), Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar (pf. in 5 regions/states), Bangladesh (pf in 8/13 endemic districts), Pakistan (reduce burden by 75% 2020)

 Help to engage private sector for harmonised product registration process

 Support guidelines regarding efficient product procurement for VC

 Engage with universities to provide capacity-building/training opportunities for the next generation of entomologists

 Initiate cross-border meetings for idea/strategy sharing

 Identify and facilitate laboratory support for entomological activities at a local level

 Identify and encourage donor sustainability and engagement techniques

 Create a platform for sharing of technical and programmatic resources and tools

 Develop evaluation tools for entomological surveillance (resources and guidance material)

 Help to develop techniques to track exported cases and facilitate communication between relevant bodies

 Support the development of a reporting system for imported/exported cases across borders

 Facilitate more focused collaboration with the APMEN Surveillance and Response Working Group (SRWG)

Group 3: Elimination goals 2027–30 (Indonesia, Philippines, Vanuatu, India)

Technical:

 Develop techniques for accurate characterisation/stratification of different malaria transmission areas

More accurately understand the correlation between epidemiological and entomological data to guide strategy development/tool investment (promote data-driven programme reorientation)

 Align/triangulate data and research related to VC and entomology through multi-sectoral collaborations (e.g. research groups, MOH university groups)

 Standardising memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for research and other partners involved in malaria control activities to support and empower NMCPs (identifying and communicating clear roles and responsibilities of different parties)

 Facilitate and advocate for capacity-building activities (trainings, research fellowships opportunities)

 Support linkage between vector bionomics (species identification and behavioural traits) and epidemiological data

 Support communications development to generate and report data beyond the local level

 Provide focused training on development and implementation of SOPs for field/lab studies

Group 4: High burden (Afghanistan, PNG, Solomon Islands)