At present, the program has taken a regional approach, focusing on West Africa, beyond which the program shall be expanded continentally. AUDA-NEPAD and the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) collaborate with partners to strengthen the capacity of regulators and relevant stakeholders in Member States and RECs in order to ensure that countries are able to explore the potential of existing and new vector control approaches. Interventions include (i) developing appropriate guidelines for the various phases of product development; (ii) conducting capacity strengthening in order to deepen the understanding of regulators and relevant stakeholders; (iii) sensitising beneficiary communities and government officials; (iv) monitoring and evaluating the impact of interventions; and (v) using evidence from West Africa to advocate for the scale-up of the IVM programme to other regions.  

The IVM Programme operationalises the APET recommendations by building the platform, using gene drive as a pathfinder approach among the technologies on the horizon. Due to the unique nature of the technology, the regulatory pathway being targeted forms a break-through model for other emerging technologies that need to be harnessed for economic development in future.  For instance, Wolbachia-infested mosquitoes which control dengue have been released elsewhere but not yet in Africa. A key component of the platform is that regulators in agriculture, environment, health, and other relevant stakeholders are best informed in order for them to make evidence-based decisions for the benefit of saving the African populations from the burden of malaria and vector-borne diseases. There is need for a balance between ensuring the safety of the environment and human health without being so restrictive as to lose the potential health benefits of the various vector control approaches. This entails strong coordination between health and environmental regulators at national and regional levels.