A malaria vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, has proved to be 77% effective in early trials; being seen as a potential major breakthrough in the fight against the disease.
On the basis of these results, larger trials will now be carried out in nearly 5000 children between the ages of five months and three years, across four African states.
World Bank Group President David Malpass said the investment would help improve livelihoods as those countries recovered from the outbreak and dealt with the impact of biodiversity loss and climate change through 2025.