[afro-nets] Press release: Canadian customs officials hold up mosquito net delivery (2)

["Peter Burgess" <profitinafrica@gmail.com>]

Press release: Canadian customs officials hold up mosquito net delivery (2)
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Dear Colleagues

On Tuesday of last week there was an Afro-Nets posting that the Canadian authorities were refusing to let insecticide treated mosquito netting through customs for delivery to participants at the AIDS Conference in Toronto.

Subsequently, I spent a good number of hours raising hell at the Canadian Embassy in Washington and at various government offices in Ottawa basically to send that message that a double standard of government behavior is unacceptable. To the Canadian Government's credit, though I did not get instant gratification, I had a very high level of response and call back ... and eventually we learned that the Canadian Government had found a solution to the problem, and, in fact, had done it pretty fast and (I believe) in time for the specific presentation where the materials were needed. Incidentally, I cannot take any credit for what the Canadians did to solve the problem.

There are some lessons. The customs did their job according to the rules in place. In a matter of hours the Pest Management Regulatory Agency that under the law is required to regulate insecticides worked out a way to satisfy the spirit of the law and at the same time solve the problem. The following is from an email sent to me from Ottawa that summarises what went on:

"On Monday, the PMRA received a call from an individual who informed us that a shipment of mosquito netting was being held back by the Canada Border Services Agency. Upon speaking with the caller, I was made aware that the mosquito netting had been treated with deltamethrin. Each package of mosquito netting contained condom samples as this merchandise is part of an incentive to prevent malaria and AIDS in Third World countries. This merchandise was to be handed out to the participants at the XVI International AIDS Conference taking place in Toronto at the moment.

"Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the packaging contained a statement that the mosquito netting had been treated with an insecticide. In Canada, the Pest Control Products Act requires that all pest control products that are used, sold, manufactured or imported into the country be registered. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency is the federal government agency responsible for the registration and regulation of pest control products in Canada.

"This matter was brought to the attention of senior management. On Wednesday, a decision was made that the PMRA would allow the importation of the deltamethrin-treated mosquito nets provided that stickers containing the following statements were affixed to every package:

"Deltamethrin-treated Mosquito Net for use outside Canada for a public health purpose "Filet antimoustique traité à la deltaméthrine à des fins de santé publique pour utilisation à l'extérieur du Canada

"The caller was made aware of the decision and compliance staff was available to facilitate matters with the Canada Border Services Agency if needed."

Yes ... the law and the regulation did get in the way, but I think it is quite impressive how the Canadian staff worked to solve the problem within the law in a timely way and in a very professional manner. My own intervention cannot be described as professional ... I started out "mad as hell" and was really impressed with the way everyone concerned did their best as fast as they could.

Sincerely

Peter Burgess
Transparency and Accountability Network
Tr-Ac-Net in New York 212 772 6918
peterbnyc AT gmail.com
mailto:profitinafrica@gmail.com