United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon will announce a new global initiative today to eliminate more than one million deaths every year caused by malaria as quickly as possible.
In his video message for a World Malaria Day event at UN headquarters, Mr Ban said the initiative will offer indoor spraying and bed nets treated with long-lasting insecticide "to all people at risk, especially women and children in Africa" by the end of 2010.
Mr Ban said it will also ensure that all public health facilities have access to effective malaria treatment and diagnosis, that community health workers are trained to deal with malaria, and that research into the control, elimination and eradication of malaria is encouraged.
