Malaria

A few weeks ago, I stepped into an outdoor recreation store, and I was horrified to find they were selling mosquito nets, as camping equipment, for prices ranging from U$D 20 to U$D 30.

I come from a place where Dengue and Yellow Fever are an every-day reality and where mosquito nets sell at the market for cents. While Malaria still wreaks havoc in most developing countries, here in the US, mosquito nets are sold as luxury items at fancy stores.

I don't blame campers for wanting to protect themselves with a net, as opposed to covering themselves with chemical repellents. Nor do I blame them for agreeing to pay for the nets what market forces have dictated is a perfectly reasonable price to spend on recreational equipment.

I guess I'm just sad that such an elemental necessity in one part of the world (and to which many don't have access) is touted and promoted as an extravagance in another.

Also, see this article in The NY Times for more on Malaria and mosquito nets: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/02malaria.html?adxnnl=1&ref=opinion...

Am I completely off here? Am I missing something? Please Let me know your thoughts...