A CAMPAIGN to eradicate Malaria within a generation has won the support of Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough MP Stuart Andrew.

Mr Andrew travelled to Zambia to give his backing to the fight against the disease, which is said to have claimed more lives than any other in human history.

Today, malaria kills a child every minute, despite being preventable and costing less than a cup of tea to treat. It is also a major cause of poverty in Africa, costing an estimated £12 billion a year in lost productivity.

In the run-up to World Mosquito Day on August 20, the charity Malaria No More UK has been calling for support from MPs and is highlighting its cause on social media #malariatodolist.

The 'to-do list' brings to life the key actions needed to defeat malaria during the next 15 years, including the need for doubling of current funding, cutting-edge research, inspiring global leadership and improving access to life-saving medicines.

It was 118 years ago that British Doctor, Sir Ronald Ross, first discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria. Exceptional progress has followed – in the past 15 years alone, global efforts have halved the rate of people dying from malaria. The charity says the next 15 years offer an unprecedented opportunity to reach near zero deaths if local and global support is maintained.

Mr Andrew has recently returned from a visit to Zambia with the charity, Results UK, which works on various projects in poverty-stricken countries.

After seeing first-hand the effect that life-threatening illnesses such as malaria have on the local population, he said: "It was humbling to visit life-saving projects in Zambia, and to see the real determination local people have to overcome such illnesses.

"However, World Mosquito Day reminds us there is one more important thing on our to-do list: making malaria no more. No-one, anywhere should die from a mosquito bite. With the right levels of funding, political leadership and continued commitment, the UK can play a leading role in ending malaria deaths by 2030.

"Thanks to the huge progress of the past 15 years, 6.2 million lives have been saved. But it’s all to play for – without continued public, political and financial support, we could see this progress reversed. That’s why I’m adding ‘make malaria no more’ to my to-do list today. Let’s get the job done."