APMEN has 3 Working Groups (Surveillance & Response, Vector Control and Vivax) that represent the core of APMEN’s technical expertise.  The APMEN Secretariat invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from institutions that have the relevant expertise to host the Working Groups (WGs) in July 2020. 

Following a comprehensive evaluation of the EoIs and discussions with the institutions that submitted the EoIs, the following were selected as hosts of the Working Groups.

Surveillance and Response Working Group (SRWG): Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is an academic collaborative partnership between the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Mahidol University in Thailand established in 1979.  MORU functions as a research network with main offices in Bangkok and satellite units in Cambodia, Lao PDR, western Thailand, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo. MORU has around 60 study sites currently active across the Asia-Pacific and Africa with current projects with local partners in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, PR China, India, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, The Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam. Being part of three universities (Oxford, Mahidol and Open), MORU has an extensive program of online and in-person technical training workshops for staff.  The WG will be led by Professor Richard Maude as the MORU representative.

Vector Control Working Group (VCWG):  Malaria Consortium has been an APMEN partner for several years, including by hosting its Vector Control Working Group (VCWG).  Malaria Consortium (MC) was established in 2003 and has since been a leading health-support INGO in both Africa and Asia.  MC’s mission is to improve lives in Africa and Asia through sustainable, evidence-based programmes that combat targeted diseases and promote child and maternal health. MC has had a strong presence in Asia for almost a decade, with offices in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, and a strong network of collaborating partners throughout Asia. . Malaria Consortium has demonstrated its commitment to bring benefits not just through its various projects fighting malaria, dengue, and various diseases that have particular impact on mothers and children, but also capacity building through programmes such as its Dr Sylvia Meek Scholarship grants for MSc students each year.

Vivax Working Group (VxWG): Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is a non-profit foundation committed to discovering, developing and coordinating the delivery of malaria medicines. MMV currently manages the largest portfolio of malaria products and research and development (R&D) projects to date. The MMV ethos is one of leveraging partnership to achieve success. Since its inception in 1999, MMV has successfully worked in over 50 countries with more than 400 partners from the public and private sectors, NGOs and non-profit organizations, and clinical research institutions. MMV’s experience prepares it well for the challenges of hosting a successful collaborative working group with strong ties to many current APMEN members. MMV operates under an MOU with APLMA/APMEN and also has close ties with the previous host institute (Menzies).  MMV will work closely with APMEN partners through the WG to ensure access to the right set of vivax case management tools relevant to the country context.