The 1st World Malaria Day will be observed in the country today as elsewhere across the globe to create awareness among people about the preventable disease that affects around 60,000 people every year in Bangladesh, while more than 500 patients die due to the disease. The outbreak of malaria borne by female Anopheles mosquito in the country is highest at 70 upazilas of 13 districts including Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Mymensingh, Sherpur and Kurigram. Sources said malaria kills around 10 lakh people every year in the world. To mark the day, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), health and family welfare ministry, Brac and other organisations will hold discussions, rallies, press conferences and dramas to make people aware of the disease. They will also hold programmes for rapid diagnostic test (RDT) of malaria and insecticide treating of mosquito nets, the speakers told a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium titled 'A disease without borders.' Health and family planning ministry, health directorate, World Health Organisation (WHO), DRU and Brac jointly organised the press conference. The government already has taken a programme to control malaria that aim to reduce the disease by 50 percent by 2012 in the malaria-prone districts. It also aims to work for early diagnosis of the disease and provide treatment to at least 80 percent patients, they added. Under the programme, insecticide treatable mosquito nets will be delivered to the extreme poor people living in malaria-prone areas. "Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is important to combat the disease and it needs to increase awareness and social movement in this regard,' said Dr Imran Bin Yunus, prof of Nephrology Department at Chittagong Medical College. Malaria is not only a health problem. It includes environment and economy also, said Dr A Mannan Bangali of World Health Organisation. Dr Paresul Alam of DGHS, Dr Mohammad Akramul Islam of Brac and Ilias Hossain of DRU also spoke.