THREE North-East researchers have been given almost £10m by the foundation set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to study malaria.

Dr Gerry Killeen, Dr Ulrike Fillinger and Professor Steve Lindsay, of Durham University's school of biological and biomedical sciences, are involved in a five-year research project.

They are evaluating control methods against the disease - which is carried by mosquitos - in urban Africa.

More than one million people die from malaria each year, most being children.

The research consortium, led by American university Notre Dame, will work closely with partners in Africa and Indonesia.

They will support health researchers to establish the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam as the primary site for investigating malaria in Africa.

Funding will be provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Established by Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, it was set up in 2000 to help fund programmes working to reduce inequality and help people lead healthy, productive lives.

Dr Killeen said: "Even though over half the population of Africa will live in towns and cities by 2030, very little is known about malaria transmission in urban Africa.

"Control measures specific to this context remain to be proven.

"This grant will allow us to provide answers for national malaria control programmes, with information on planning and implementing control measures."

Earlier this year, Dr Killeen's research suggested that insecticide-treated bed nets may combat malaria if used by population groups not usually targeted by health authorities.

The research, published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine, suggested that protecting older children and adults could help to prevent the spread of the disease to more vulnerable groups including children and pregnant women.