Priorities for Broadening the Malaria Vector Control Tool Kit

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have contributed substantially to reductions in the burden of malaria in the past 15 years. Building on this foundation, the goal is now to drive malaria towards elimination. Vector control remains central to this goal, but there are limitations to what is achievable with the current tools. Here we highlight how a broader appreciation of adult mosquito behavior is yielding a number of supplementary approaches to bolster the vector-control tool kit. We emphasize tools that offer new modes of control and could realistically contribute to operational control in the next 5 years. Promoting complementary tools that are close to field-ready is a priority for achieving the global malaria-control targets. The past decade has seen a dramatic decline in the burden of malaria, with vector control playing a central role. The aim is now to build on this recent success and progress towards elimination. Current core vector-control tools alone are insufficient to achieve this goal, as they fail to target all adult mosquitoes, and emerging insecticide resistance is threating their effectiveness.