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