United Nations officials stated Thursday that a plan backed by approximately $3 billion in pledges would eliminate malaria by the year 2015. Aimed at decreasing the number of deaths by malaria, which is currently reported at almost 1 million annually, by 100%, the plan includes providing access to bed nets, indoor spraying, upgraded methods of diagnosis and treatment, as well as developing new vaccines for the disease.

Presently, remote areas of Africa and Southeast Asia are the most affected by the parasites-triggered condition worldwide. Moreover, death occurs mainly in infants and toddlers.

Ray Chambers, a United States philanthropist, stated that malaria was the main cause of death in children throughout Africa, also costing the continent an annual amount of $30 billion in health costs and economic losses.

Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, along with Bono from U2, Simon Fuller, Peter Chernin and heads of state and ministers from Australia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia were the officials who presented the plan on Thursday.

Dr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, a former health minister of Senegal, said that this was the most comprehensive plan to both fight and eliminate malaria in the next seven years.

U. N. leaders informed that in order for the plan, which is sponsored by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, to achieve its goals, $6 billion had to be raised via donations by the year 2010. Afterwards, approximately $900 million per year would have to be spent on further research on vaccines and drugs.

The biggest donors to the project, which include non-governmental organizations, nations and private donors, are said to be the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the World Bank.