The world could be free of one of the oldest and deadliest diseases to affect humanity within a generation.
Each year there are more than 200 million cases of malaria, which mostly kills young children.
But a major report says eradicating malaria is now a possibility, although it will probably need an extra £1.6bn of annual funding.
Steady progress has been made – since 2000 the death rate from the disease has fallen by 60% and the number of countries with malaria has fallen from 106 to 86.
The World Health Organization report was published in the Lancet, and features 41 malaria experts who conclude eradication could be achieved by 2050.
However, one of the report’s authors, Sir Richard Feachem, warned it would take “bold action” in order to achieve the goal requiring current technologies to be used more effectively and the development of new ways of tackling the disease.
