UN chief boosts campaign to eradicate malaria deaths

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon will announce a new global initiative on Friday 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.