BERLIN, April 24 (Reuters) - European Union and Group of Eight president Germany urged rich countries on Tuesday to do more to fight malaria in Africa and announced the formation of a European umbrella group to draw attention to the problem. Germany has said it wants to use its high-profile presidencies this year to fight poverty and disease on the world's poorest continent. Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has, however, named no specific targets. "If malaria was an illness which directly threatened industrial countries, I am quite sure there would already be medicines available," German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told a news conference. A day before "Africa Malaria Day", the minister said she would head the European Alliance Against Malaria, a group of ten organisations from five EU countries to raise the profile of the problem and coordinate action. Members of the umbrella group include Germany's Red Cross and the German World Population Foundation (DSW) as well as organisations from France, Belgium, Spain and Britain. Malaria, caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes, kills up to 3 million people every year and makes a further 300 million seriously ill. Ninety percent of deaths are in sub-Saharan African and most of them are young children. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given $6 million to the alliance which will cover its costs for three years, said a spokeswoman.
