Greece to Host 1st International Forum on Apitherapy

APIMEDICA 2006 Features Latest Research on Medicinal Use of Bee Products

(AUGUST 3, 2006) – Beginning October 12, 2006, the 1st International Forum on Apitherapy, the medicinal use of bee hive products, will be held in Athens, Greece. The four-day APIMEDICA 2006 conference is sponsored by the Greek Scientific Apitherapy Center and the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations (APIMONDIA).

Apitherapy is the use of bee hive products such as bee venom, bee-collected pollen, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, and honey to maintain good health and in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. (Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees from plants and trees and is used to coat the inside of the bee hive and the honeycomb cells with an antiseptic layer. Royal jelly is a substance produced by young worker bees and fed to queens.)

Hive products has been used medicinally for thousands of years and have recently gained popularity worldwide as ongoing research points to their effectiveness.

APIMEDICA 2006 will feature workshop on topics such as “Honey for Wound Healing,” “The Medical and Therapeutic Potential of Propolis,” “Bee Venom Treatment of Multiple Myeloma: A Case Study,” “The Use of Bee Products in Ophthalmology,” “The Chemistry of Royal Jelly,” and “The Therapeutic Value of Bee Pollen.”

Satellite symposia will focus on apitherapy applications in specific medical specialties, the laboratory preparation of apitherapy products and “The Bee and Beauty.”

Conference organizers say increased resistance of disease-causing agents to modern antibiotics creates an urgent need for efficient alternative treatments such as those used in apitherapy.

“Apitherapy not only offers high-quality, efficient alternative treatments, it can also help improve access to medical care for the majority of people worldwide who may not be able to afford the cost of many pharmaceutical products,” said Apimondia President Asger S. Jørgensen.

Jørgensen said bee hive products are particularly useful in the developing world because of their low cost and indigenous production.

“Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest research developments from specialists who will outline practical applications of apitherapy in health prevention, hygiene and the treatment of various diseases,” said Dimitris A. Selianakis, president of the Greek Scientific Apitherapy Center.

For more information about APIMEDICA 2006, go to: http://www.apimedica2006.gr

For more information on apitherapy, go to: www.apitherapy.com, www.apitherapy.org and www.apitherapynews.com

CONTACT: AFEA Congress, 39-41 Lycavittou Str., 10672 Athens, Greece; Tel. +30 210 3668853, Fax. +30 210 3643511, E-Mail: apimedica2006@afea.gr