International Development Secretary Alok Sharma announced that the UK would match £100 million of private sector funding to help tackle malaria.

Mr Sharma said the international community must “work together to do more to fight malaria”, which kills a child every two minutes and is the biggest killer of children under five in most of Africa.

Speaking at the Global Fund replenishment conference in Lyon, France, the International Development Secretary said:

“Malaria is entirely preventable. Every death is a tragedy that is in our power to stop.

“I am determined to step up the UK’s efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children in the developing world by 2030.

“Thanks to our partnership with the private sector, UK aid is helping to save many thousands of lives in the fight against this deadly disease.”

Global Fund

The UK is the third-largest donor to the Global Fund, putting it at the forefront of efforts to reduce the number of malaria cases by investing in treatment, prevention and research.

Since 2002, the Global Fund is estimated to have helped save 32 million lives and reduced deaths from three killer infectious diseases - AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria - by 40% in the countries which it invests in.

Between 2000 and 2017 there has been huge progress in reducing malaria-associated deaths, with numbers cut from 839,000 to 435,000.

£100 million can help provide 20 million mosquito nets, prevent six million cases of malaria, and save over 75,000 lives.

It will also be used to strengthen health systems so governments in badly affected countries are better equipped to prevent and treat malaria.

Sherwin Charles, CEO of Goodbye Malaria, said:

“The private sector can play a transformational role when it comes to ending the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.

“We need continued investment in new technologies, health innovations and greater efficiency. This will accelerate access to newer and more effective tools.”

What is malaria?

Malaria is a serious, mosquito-borne disease, which can be fatal when undiagnosed or untreated.

It’s considered a worldwide healthcare priority, particularly in the face of global climate change which is expected to increase the spread of diseases like malaria.

In 2016, there were around 216 million cases of malaria recorded, resulting in up to 731,000 deaths. Around 90% of those cases and deaths occurred in Africa.

Malaria spreads when an infected female mosquito bites a person and passes a parasite known as Plasmodium into the bloodstream.

Symptoms include:

A high temperature of 38C or above
Feeling hot and shivery
Headaches
Vomiting
Muscle pains
Diarrhoea.

Find out more about the Global Fund at theglobalfund.org

Source: Online