Malaria could be wiped out by 2040, despite the lack of an effective vaccine, previous failed attempts to eradicate the disease and drug resistance problems, the United Nations and Microsoft founder Bill Gates said in a report released on Monday.
Gates and Ray Chambers, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for malaria, said getting rid of the parasitic disease could ultimately save 11 million lives and provide USD 2 trillion in economic benefits. In a statement, Gates described eradication as “the only sustainable solution.” His foundation has been one of the major donors to malaria eradication programs. The report calls for a doubling of the money spent on malaria by 2025 and new ways to control the mosquitoes that spread the disease.
Past attempts to get rid of malaria have failed; the World Health Organization and partners had targeted the end of 2015 for cutting cases to “near zero.” About 500,000 children are killed by malaria every year and it’s unknown whether cases are going up or down in the worst-hit countries.