Oviedo, Spain  - Four organizations fighting against malaria in Africa were Wednesday awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize, dubbed the "Spanish Nobel," in the category of international cooperation, the jury announced in the northern city of Oviedo.

The organizations were the Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre in Tanzania, the Malaria Research and Training Centre in Mali, the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana and the Centro de Investigacao em Saude de Manhica in Mozambique.

The organizations were recognized internationally as leaders in the fight against malaria in Africa, contributing to the development of a vaccine against the disease and to the training of specialized health professionals, the jury said.

Malaria kills more than a million people annually worldwide, most of them in Africa, where a child aged less than five years dies every 30 seconds of the disease.

The Prince of Asturias Prize, which is worth 50,000 euros (68,000 dollars), is awarded annually in eight categories. (dpa)