Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 5 December 2015]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases

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UK Government Allocates £1 billion to Combat Malaria, Other Infectious Diseases
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) and its UK sister organization Sabin Foundation Europe, released the following statement on the UK government’s allocation of £1 billion for malaria and other infectious diseases. This funding will be distributed through the newly-developed Ross Fund, created by the Department for International Development (DFID) in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The £1 billion fund will include a £300 million package focused on malaria and other infectious diseases, including:
:: A £90 million eradication of malaria implementation fund;
: £100 million support for research and development into products for infectious diseases; and
:: £115 million to develop new drugs, diagnostics and insecticides for malaria, TB and other infectious disease resistance.
In addition, the Ross Fund will be used to target neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and diseases with epidemic potential and emerging resistance.

Sabin and Sabin Foundation Europe are encouraged by the UK government’s investment in global health programs, despite austerity measures taking place across UK government departments and an increasing international focus on emerging humanitarian threats. The allocation of these funds demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving health worldwide and fighting diseases that primarily plague the world’s poorest populations.

The Ross Fund is an important development for global efforts to combat malaria, and will have positive implications for research and development for infectious and neglected diseases. DFID is doing remarkable work, supporting NTD programs to treat lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis and Guinea worm. The case for continuing to use and scale-up currently-available high-impact treatments remains clear; however, there is a need to consider future needs by investing in novel technologies, including the development of new affordable drugs, vaccines and point-of care technologies, if we are to achieve elimination of some of these diseases…