Cambodian children in a hospital compound play a hand game with U.S. Air Force MSgt. Rita Greiner.

Mosquito Nets
U.S. Air Force TSgt. Bryan Gray handed out 300 mosquito nets at three Cham villages around the city of Kep. The nets help stop the spread of malaria and occasional outbreaks of dengue fever. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Sid Brevard, medical director for BRAVA 2004, said, “Malaria is an ongoing problem in this part of the world. About 98 percent of the people live in open houses where mosquitoes fly in and out. The mosquito nets are vital to protect families and children from mosquitoes.”

“This year U.S. Pacific Command bought about 57,000 nets,” said U.S. Army Maj. Marc Harrelson, Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Phen, Cambodia. Maj. Harrelson said the treated mosquito net program for malaria prevention began in 2000 and, “Since 2000 over $500,000 has been spent on the program.”

“We usually try to hand out . . . one net per family,” said Lt. Col. Duong. “Handing out nets is a preventive public health measure that is low cost and culturally acceptable, and something they certainly will use. It’s also a very cost effective way to help out in this part of the world,” she said. The nets cost about $2 to $3, or about 10 percent of the average monthly income in Cambodia.

While distributing the mosquito nets in a Cham village, TSgt. Gray met a boy who spoke English. When TSgt. Gray asked him how he learned English, the boy replied at school. As he turned to leave the small Cham village, the boy looked up at TSgt. Gray and said, “Thank you.”

A Cham-Muslim woman in a village near Kep talks with U.S. Air Force MSgt. Dan Elliott, who was giving mosquito nets to village families.