Fiona Bruce MP welcomes announcement of Government money pledged to combating malaria

Fiona Bruce MP welcomes announcement of Government money pledged to combating malaria

Fiona Bruce MP is pleased that the Department for International Development announced recently that the Government will be pledging £1bn towards combating malaria and other infectious diseases. The announcement comes ahead of the Spending Review on Wednesday, which will see a fundamental restructuring of Britain’s aid budget along with an increased focus on prosperity and security.

The fund, known as the Ross Fund, will be run in partnership with US philanthropists, Bill and Melinda Gates who are known for their work championing the cause of malaria across the globe.

The fund is named after Sir Donald Ross, the first ever British Nobel Laureate who was recognised for his discovery that mosquitoes transmit malaria. The Chancellor first pledged to see malaria tackled and eventually eliminated on a visit to Uganda in 1997 where he saw the devastation that the disease causes.

Fiona is both a member of the International Development Select Committee and an Officer of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases and as such has actively campaigned for this funding, so is extremely pleased that the Government is recognising the need for assistance in this area.

Fiona said: ‘This announcement of £1bn of funding towards combating these deadly diseases is immensely valuable. I have seen first-hand the devastation that malaria can cause, indeed, a young friend in Africa sadly dies from it. We have already made great strides in the global fight against malaria and the UK has shown tremendous leadership, but there is still a long way to go. This commitment from the Government will have an enormous impact in seeing malaria and other infectious diseases eradicated once and for all, saving some 600 million lives across the globe.’