PM to unveil global health campaign

He will announce seven "first wave" countries in Africa and Asia that have signed up to a new International Health Partnership (IHP).

It will help build national health systems in some of the world's poorest countries and aims to save millions of lives by fostering "smarter" working between global aid donors.

The seven countries are Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Cambodia and Nepal.

Multiple health agencies and foundations are supporting the drive, including the World Health Organisation, World Bank, and Unicef, along with the European Commission, and donor governments Norway, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

IHP backers will sign a contract when the partnership is formally launched at Downing Street.

Mr Brown said: "There is no greater cause than that every man, woman and child in the world should be able to able to benefit from the best medicine and healthcare.

"And our vision ... is that we can triumph over ancient scourges and for the first time in history conquer polio, TB, measles and then with further advances and initiatives, go on to address pneumoccal pneumonia, malaria and eventually HIV/ Aids."

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander added: "The donor community needs to work together better and smarter in order to deliver for the very countries we're trying to help, whilst supporting poor countries' own priorities. This is not about launching a health initiative but is about building health services."

The IHP aims to accelerate progress on millennium development goals on cutting child deaths, improving maternal mortality, and fighting major diseases and will focus on health systems as a whole rather than individual diseases and issues.