Australia has committed $100 million over the next four years to reduce death and illness from malaria in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking this morning at the Malaria 2012 Conference in Sydney, Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced Australia's commitment to help reduce death and cases of malaria by 75 per cent by 2015, working towards an eventual goal of near zero deaths.

The $100 million will go towards providing treatments, mosquito nets and rapid diagnostic tests.

A total of $14.5 million will specifically target drug-resistant malaria in the Mekong, while $20 million has been earmarked for malaria programs in Australia's close neighbours like the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

"We can eliminate malaria, that's the message from this conference and the commitments that we've had from the nations represented here," Senator Carr said.

He says these accelerated global efforts to combat the disease could save 70,000 lives between now and December 2015.

The United Nations has praised Australia's efforts.

It says Australia is a world leader in working with developing nations on the issue.

The UN secretary-general's special envoy for malaria, Ray Chambers, says the way Australia supports and works with its Asia-Pacific neighbours is exemplary.

"We have been so impressed by what we've seen over the last several days and for Australia's leadership, its persistent tenacity to get something conclusive done and its enormous generosity," he said.

"I think what we've started here with Australia's leadership we'll see be emulated throughout the rest of the world."