Idols raising money for malaria fight

Gordon Brown has vowed to spend £100 million to help eradicate malaria in Africa.

The British prime minister made his announcement on a special edition of the talent show American Idol, in a programme entitled Idol Gives Back.

Mr Brown told the audience: "With 120 million more nets all families could sleep safe at night. I am promising that Britain will pay for 20 million more and I’ll be urging other world leaders to play their part."

As part of the Idol Gives Back show Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton both made personal pleas for viewers to support the cause.

Organisations that will benefit from the fundraising efforts include the global fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria; malaria no more and the children's health fund.

The World Health Organisation estimates that malaria kills 3,000 children in Africa a day.

Recently, health officials in Kenya said that they needed £57 million to combat malaria in the country, where 25 million people are at risk of the disease.