Canberra – Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday that the country has joined the End Malaria Council with a view to achieve a world free from malaria.
The council, co-chaired by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has saved six million lives from the mosquito-borne virus since 2000.
Other members of the group include Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for health, and now Bishop, who confirmed her new position on social media on Tuesday.
“Working to achieve a world free from malaria.
“ Malaria kills 445,000 annually, most of which are children.
“Malaria is one of the world’s most pressing health challenges and I am honoured to join this important group of global leaders in the fight against this serious disease,” Bishop said.
“The Australian government will continue to invest strongly in health security, including malaria control and elimination, with a focus on increasing impact through partnerships.”
Gates, who has made ending malaria a major focus of his work as a philanthropist, said that with Australia’s leadership, the virus could be eradicated from Southeast Asia by 2025.
“To be a regional champion of getting rid of malaria, it’s kind of a natural role for Australia,” he said.
“There’s the group of regional (Asian) leaders (and) it hasn’t yet been as engaged as we’ve had in Africa but we think there’s an opportunity to reenergize that group if Australia decides to take a lead on it.
“The biggest scare is that we have artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia … that has not reached Africa yet.
“So it’s a kind of race. The dream would be to clear Southeast Asia. And that’s partly where the partnership with Australia comes in.”