• Unveil a new technology for the mechanized, mass LLIN treatment of mosquito nets at the factory level that can be transferred to African net manufacturers
• Review other LLIN technologies that African companies might adopt
• Identify potential sources of international financing and technical assistance to help the technology transfer process and find markets for the new nets.
• Provide net manufacturers with an opportunity for private consultations with the NetMark technical team on how they might add an LLIN capacity to their factories.

Schedule:

Sessions on September 27-29 will focus on:

• a detailed introduction of this new mechanized process, including in-depth discussions of the process, equipment, installation issues, and levels of investment for various production levels
• overviews of other LLIN technologies that could be adopted by companies
• identification of the obstacles African net manufacturers face in expanding their businesses
• reviewing the global supply of, and commercial and public sector demand for, ITNs and LLINs
• identification of potential sources of matching investment from international organizations to support LLIN technology transfer.
  

September 30/October 1 will focus on private meetings between the NetMark technical team and interested manufacturers to discuss how their companies can adopt an LLIN technology.

Organizers: The USAID NetMark Program and its partners Siamdutch Mosquito Netting Company, Bayer CropScience, and Anovotek, LLC, a U.S. company with extensive experience in the application of chemical treatments to textiles. Other NetMark commercial partners such as Vestergaard Frandsen, Syngenta, and A-Z Textiles will also make presentations. Financial support is being provided by the USAID office for East and Southern African (REDSO), the USAID office for West Africa (WARP) and the USAID NetMark Program. NetMark is being implemented by the nonprofit Academy for Education Development (AED).

Participants: By invitation only. Approximately 70 participants representing all the major African net manufacturers, LLIN technology holders, and organizations supporting LLIN technology transfer.

Location:

The Safari Park Hotel
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-20-363 3000; +254-20-856 2222
Fax: +254-20 363 3919
http://www.safaripark-hotel.com
The hotel is located 15 minutes by car from the city center on one of the main arterial roads (Thika highway) leading towards Mount Kenya. It is 30 minutes by car from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

LLINs: Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) are one of the most effective means of preventing malaria; and the most effective ITN, given low net retreatment rates, is a long-lasting insecticide treated net (LLIN). As defined by WHO’s Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES), an LLIN is an ITN that will retain its killing power for up to 21 washes.

At present, only two ITNs have been certified as LLINs by WHOPES. They are the PermaNet® made by Vestergaard Frandsen and the Olyset® Net made by Sumitomo. The only LLIN produced in Africa is the Olyset being manufactured by A-Z Textiles, Ltd. in Tanzania under license to Sumitomo. Over the last few years, the demand for LLINs has greatly increased with a concurrent increase in production levels, although demand greatly outpaced supply in 2005.

New LLIN Technologies: To expand the supply of LLINs and stimulate price competition, there is a need for other LLIN products to enter the market and for an LLIN process that can be more easily adopted by African net manufacturers. After years of research and development, Bayer CropScience introduced an LLIN treatment kit for nets called K-O Tab 1-2-3 in late 2004. This improved version of K-O Tab is applied to a finished net, and lab tests show that it meets the 21-wash requirement for an LLIN product. Bayer was also working on a formulation that could be used at the factory level for the mass treatment of finished nets; however, there was no mechanized process yet created for using it on a mass scale to replace the hand dipping method. In many cases, hand dipping does not result in uniform insecticide coverage over a net.

The USAID NetMark Program formed a joint effort with Bayer, Siamdutch, and Anovotek to develop a mechanized process for the mass treatment of nets at the factory level that would produce an LLIN meeting WHOPES specifications. This mechanized process has been extensively tested at Anovotek with excellent results and now is being installed in a new Siamdutch factory in Thailand. NetMark and Anovotek will soon start tests with other new LLIN treatment products from other manufacturers. The advantages of this mechanized process are that it:

• provides rapid and high quality mass treatment of finished nets
• is easily installed at the end of the net production line
• uses off-the-shelf, reliable industrial equipment that only requires a special adaptation for the insecticide treatment
• is environmentally friendly by limiting amounts of insecticide used and worker exposure
• can potentially be used with several brands of insecticide treatment
• can be scaled to match the desired LLIN output capacity because the equipment is available in various sizes (from 23 kg. to 455 kg. capacity) and prices
• is available to all companies because of the NetMark-Siamdutch agreement to encourage technology transfer.

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