Sri Lanka hosts Intl. Mosquito Spiral Manufacturers Association Convention on Monday

The Biennial Convention of the International Mosquito Spiral Manufacturers Association (IMSMA) will be held at the Club Palm Bay Hotel, Marawila starting from 19 November 2012.

Multinational active ingredient manufacturers for anti mosquito coils, Sumitomo and Bayer have enrolled to attend the convention while a delegate from Sumitomo Chemical Singapore Ltd., will also address the convention on the performance of the active ingredients offered by Sumitomo and the new advances in research on mosquito vector and nuisance mosquito repelling products.

For the current 4-day Convention, the following chemical and machine manufacturers have registered to attend the sessions: Sumitomo Chemical Singapore Pte Ltd., Singapore; Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., India; Quality Coils Ind. Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia; Jinagsu Yangnong Chemical Co Ltd., China; MC Mitra Sdn Bhd, Malaysia; Pt Inti Karunia Multiuasaha, Indonesia; Standard Finis Oil Co, Bangladesh; and Shanghai Rerace Industry & Trade Co Ltd., China.

At the current Convention guest speakers from Sri Lanka are scheduled to make presentations on the incidence of mosquito vector borne diseases, the current intensity of the problem, the future outlook on control of the diseases and the restrictions and legislations relating to the use of vector control chemicals and methods. Among the guest speakers, the Registrar of Pesticides, senior lecturers from the Department of Zoology, University of Kelaniya, and from the Ministry of Health are scheduled to be present.

IMSMA was founded by a group of manufacturers of anti mosquito coils and incorporated in Hong Kong on 4 June 1976 and later it was decided to accept membership from material suppliers as non-voting members. The main objective of the association was to foster co-operation among the members in the fields of research and development and a venue for members to meet and to exchange ideas.

Every two years the association at its Conventions invite speakers to talk on subjects relating to mosquito vector borne diseases and the control of mosquitoes in the dwelling areas. Each Convention attracted about 100 participants. The membership of the association list includes manufacturers from Kenya, Sri Lanka, China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

The IMSMA Convention is a forum for meeting and exchanging ideas with delegates from counties world over relating to anti mosquito products.

Originally only the manufacturers of anti mosquito coils were eligible to enrol as a member, currently the membership is expanded to include manufacturers of all anti mosquito products. Although the association is incorporated with its office in Hong Kong, the office bearers are elected from among its internationally spread out member organisations.

The current office bearers are: President R.N. Bopearatchy – EB Creasy & Co Plc, Sri Lanka; Treasurer Vijay G. Gokhale – Bombay Chemicals Pvt Limited, India; Executive Yancy T.L. Shum – Blood Protection Co. China Ltd., China; Committee Members Marlina Darmade – PT Johnson Home Hygiene Products, Indonesia; Andrew Yeoh, Quality Coils Ind. Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia.