YANGON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is striving to cut the number of deaths caused by malaria by half in the year 2010 in the wake of that about 700,000 people in the country are infected with the disease yearly, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday.

    To realize the target, the health authorities are calling for preventive measures against the fatal disease with the participation of the entire people and also with a high level of health awareness.

    The preventive measures are outlined as imparting knowledge to the people, using mosquito nets treated with insecticide, cultivating the habit of visiting hospitals and receiving proper treatment.

    Malaria is among the three diseases of national concern which Myanmar has been encountering. The other two are HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB).

    Myanmar treats the three diseases as priority with the main objectives of reducing the morbidity and mortality in a bid to become no longer a public problem and meet the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.