UK and Bill Gates pledge billions to combat malaria

LONDON

Britain and Bill Gates have jointly announced £3 billion ($4.3bn) in funding for a program designed to help eliminate malaria within decades.

The money will be placed into a research and development fund aimed at drastically reducing the mosquito-borne disease, which is particularly prevalent in Africa.

Nearly 120,000 people worldwide were killed by malaria in 2013, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), many of them children. The UN agency estimates nearly half the world’s population is at risk of contracting the disease.

“We both believe that a malaria-free world has to be one of the highest global health priorities,” Gates wrote in a column for The Times on Monday.

“We are optimistic that in our lifetimes we can eradicate malaria and other deadly tropical diseases, and confront emerging threats, making the world a safer place for all.”

Justine Greening, the U.K. International Development Secretary, added: “We can be incredibly proud of Britain’s contribution to the battle against malaria. Thanks to the efforts of the U.K. and others over the past 15 years, more than six million lives have been saved.

“However, malaria still causes one out of 10 child deaths in Africa and costs Africa’s economy billions every year. Our new commitment will save countless more lives and build a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for us all which is firmly in the U.K.’s national interest.”

The U.K. government will put £500 million ($713 million) into the fund each year until 2021, while Gates’ foundation will contribute a further $200 million annually.

In an earlier statement announcing the funding, Bill Gates said Britain was “a global leader in the fight against deadly diseases like malaria – a disease that still claims the life of a child every minute”.

Gates, who became a multi-billionaire after co-founding Microsoft, stepped down as chief executive of the software giant in 2000 to set up a philanthropic foundation with his wife.