Biosecurity

World Malaria Day: Funds dwindling after 'success'

Bold U.N. targets to eradicate malaria are likely to be missed if governments continue to cut back aid budgets due to waning political commitment, according to a report in The Lancet.

Countries with a good track record in combating the killer disease, such as China, Mexico, Turkey and South Africa, are set to see 30% less funding in coming years as aid money is diverted elsewhere, the report adds.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), established 16 years ago, spurred a furious spate of donations worth almost $255 billion. According to a separate report from The Lancet, between 2000 and 2009 the global malaria aid budget grew by 28.3%, but since 2010, it's fallen to a negative growth rate of -0.9%.