PROJECT OF ASSISTANCE TO POPULATIONS HIT BY A BROAD CATASTROPHE

By Theodor Cherbuliez, Ph.D, MD
2010.03.12


In view of the recent catastrophes that shook the world, the Apitherapy Commission of Apimondia is seeking to organize
well ahead of time a program of medical assistance to those organizations that administer care to the victims.

This project has several components:

1. Creating a reserve of Bee products that can be readily used to contribute to health care. The Apitherapy Commission is responsible for this part of the project.
2. Creating a way of assuring the delivery of the material to the place where it is needed and making it available to the teams delivering health care. The party responsible for delivery and for storage on site is to be determined.
3. Creation of an educational program to train the health care providers in the use of the hive products. This program may be spearheaded by the Apitherapy Commission and/or by the American Apitherapy Society, which already has educational programs in place.

The definition of such catastrophe might be up to an organization such as Red Cross or Doctors without Borders, (Médecins sans Frontières - MSF) as they, ultimately, take the responsibility of assisting directly the victims.

Creating a reserve of bee products: such reserve is not an actual cache holding the product, but a commitment to make the product available on demand. Therefore the project does not have the task or responsibility of maintenance of any product. The persons taking up this function would be beekeepers, or honey processors. A number of them may be willing to assist, but may not have the ability to donate the products. A fund can be established for the purchase of products committed to the project.

It appears normal to think of members of Apimondia as the first one to be addressed. Their geographic distribution presents the advantage of a worldwide distribution, decreasing the amount of transportation to any place of need.

At the beginning of this effort, one will start with one bee product, honey. Honey is known by its capacity to play a major role in the treatment, and healing, of burns, wounds, clean or infected, of traumatic or of surgical origin. As medicine in general, has not yet become fully aware of this potential, an instructional leaflet will accompany each lot of product delivered.

To points 2) and 3): A close collaboration with a competent organization – such as Red Cross or MSF is essential. This will include training people about the functions and limitations of honey as a base ingredient in the treatment of all wounds, in the form of verbal or written presentations.

This proposal represent a first step in Apimondia’s response to natural or man-made catastrophes. It will be developed with the creation of an organization (perhaps a Catastrophe Commission) having the mission of addressing such events. This will allow assistance also the local beekeepers. In turn, this organization would reach out to different already existing Commissions for assistance.