MARILYNN MARCHIONE, 

AP Chief Medical Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 

Philanthropist Bill Gates says he wants to end malaria in his lifetime and will give more money toward that goal.

His plan includes developing a drug or vaccine to purge the malaria parasite in people who carry it without showing symptoms. In all, Gates said his foundation will commit more than $500 million this year to fight malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal and parasitic diseases.

EBOLA

He and his wife have pledged $50 million to help contain it and for research on treatments, rapid tests and vaccines. Another Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, has pledged $100 million, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, $25 million.

MALARIA

It kills more than 600,000 people each year. It is caused by parasites spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Gates  plan includes $156 million over five years to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to develop vaccines that prevent mosquitoes from infecting people and vice versa.

POLIO

Gates called polio eradication "my top priority," noting the viral disease remains endemic in three countries — Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Polio was eliminated in India earlier this year, and as of early September, Nigeria had confirmed only six wild poliovirus cases this year. There is a good chance of getting the polio case count down to zero.

DENGUE FEVER

The mosquito-borne disease, also known as breakbone fever for the pain it causes, has spread from a few countries a few decades ago to more than 100 today, including the southern United States. Gates said his foundation would work to build on that work and make a vaccine available to all who need it.

CHIKUNGUNYA

Another mosquito-borne disease, chikungunya causes fever and extremely painful joints. It spread to the Caribbean last year after expanding in Africa and South Asia, and in July. It's an important field for research and vaccine development, Gates said.