The Bill & Melissa Gates Foundation announced they are increasing their malaria budget program by 30 percent - or a total of $200 million per year at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference.
"I really do believe that malaria can be eradicated in my lifetime," Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, who just turned 59, told The Associated Press.
Gates announced his increased funding plan at the conference, which normally gets little public notice. The conference discusses "neglected" diseases, reports AP. Aside from Malaria, Gates also spoke about his donations to other viruses including pneumonia, Polio, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, and Ebola.
Gates' plan to increase Malaria funding includes $156 million over five years to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which will use the funds to develop vaccines that prevent mosquitoes from infecting people - and vice versa, reports AP.
"If you want to eradicate or eliminate malaria, you have to get rid of all the parasites." Dr. Chris Plowe, a malaria expert at the University of Maryland's Center for Vaccine Development and incoming president of the tropical medicine group, said at the conference.
Plowe added that Gates' 20-40 year goal to end Malaria is a challenging but attainable goal.
