SYDNEY, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced on Friday that Australia will provide 100 million AU dollars (104.13 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years to help fight malaria in the Asia-Pacific region.
Carr made the announcement at the 2012 Malaria Conference in Sydney on Friday.
The Asia-Pacific is the second worst-hit part of the world after Africa, recording 30 million cases of malaria a year and 42, 000 deaths.
The 22 countries attending the conference committed to "urgent" collective action to control drug-resistant malaria.
Carr told the conference that a collective responsibility was the only feasible way to continue the fight against malaria.
"Without it the threat will only grow. What's needed is political commitment," he said.
"Malaria kills a child somewhere every 30 seconds. Eighty percent of the children killed are under five."
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