Bill Gates now believes that we can eliminate malaria in the Asia Pacific area by 2025 and Julie Bishop (representing Australia) has agreed to join the End Malaria Council, co-chaired by Bill Gates to increase our Government’s commitment to the task to eradicate malaria from Asia within 10 years.
The push to tackle malaria would be one of the most ambitious global health initiatives, coming at a time when progress has stalled on combating the disease, which kills 445,000 people a year, mostly children.
Mr Gates said that “To be a regional champion of getting rid of malaria, it’s kind of a natural role for Australia and there’s an opportunity to re-energise the End Malaria Council group if Australia decides to take a lead on it. If Australia leads a concerted regional drive against malaria, the disease could be eradicated from Southeast Asia as early as 2025.”
Read the full story in the ‘Australian’ newspaper here