Malaria Policy Advisory Committee to the WHO: conclusions and recommendations of September 2012 meeting

The Malaria Policy Advisory Committee to the World Health Organization met in Geneva, Switzerland from 11 to 13 September, 2012. This article provides a summary of the discussions, conclusions and recommendations from that meeting. Meeting sessions included: updated policy recommendations on the use of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria in pregnancy, as well as the use of single dose primaquine as a Plasmodium falciparum gametocytocide; the need to develop a Global Technical Strategy for Malaria Control and Elimination 2016– 2025 and a global strategy for control of Plasmodium vivax; the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria independent evaluation and promoting malaria case management in the private sector; updates from the Technical Expert Group on drug resistance and containment and the Evidence Review Group on malaria burden estimation; update on the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine; progress on the policy setting process for malaria vector control; and the process for updating the WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. Policy statements, position statements, and guidelines that arise from the MPAC meeting conclusions and recommendations will be formally issued and disseminated to World Health Organization Member States by the World Health Organization Global Malaria Programme.