Britain has long recognized the importance of fully eliminating serious diseases, such as malaria. Hence, this goal from the British government put forth a £1bn fund for a cause.
It is named as the Ross Fund - it came after Sir Ronald Ross, a Nobel Prize winner. He was the one who discovered the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes.
The fund will be facilitated in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates. This convergence with the US philanthropists (the Gates), signifies an important reformation within UK's aid budget.
It is known that the mortality rate caused by malaria is decreasing. However, a child is in danger of dying every minute because of this disease.
Chancellor George Osborne said to BBC News that each year, half a million children suffer and die because of this disease. He added that the aid supports "national security and interests around the world."
He also mentioned that working with the couple will lead us in "our joint ambition to see an end to this global disease in our lifetimes."
Bill Gates said, ending malaria and infectious diseases will be "one of humanity's greatest achievements."
He added to BBC News as well, "With the combined skill and expertise of British scientists; leveraging the weight of both public and private financing; and the continued leadership of George Osborne and the UK, [the] announcement of the Ross Fund will play a key role in reaching that goal."
Since 2010, there has been a relevant increase in the budget for the international development department. The government is estimated to spend 0.7% of GDP on overseas aid continually.
663 million cases of malaria were avoided as proven by the report from journal Nature. This was the effect of numerous struggles to fight the disease ever since the year 2000.
In Oxford University, the researchers recognized the decrease in the number of cases because of bed net usage as well as the administration of the drug artemisinin and insecticide spray at homes.
