Médecins Sans Frontières/Seamus Murphy
The Triatoma bug, also known as the "kissing bug," carries the parasite that causes Chagas, Paraguay.

World Chagas Disease Day 2022

Campaign key messages and call to action

Chagas disease prevalence is mainly among poor populations of continental Latin America but is increasingly being detected in other countries and continents. 6-7 million people are infected with Chagas disease worldwide, with about 10,000 deaths, every year.
Chagas disease is often termed as a “silent and silenced disease” as the infected majority have no symptoms (or mild symptoms). Also, it affects mainly poor people who have no political voice or access to health care. 75 million people are currently at risk of infection.
Chagas disease has provoked a lot a social stigma and discrimination. Stigma can isolate people. It can drive people to hide their infection or illness to avoid discrimination and can even prevent them from seeking medical care.

Chagas disease is often not diagnosed or diagnosed at a late stage. If you live in or have travelled to an area at risk of Chagas disease transmission, or if you have any symptom, see your doctor.
To prevent infection, protect yourself and your home from the insects known as kissing bugs, among many other local names, or Triatomine bugs.
Share accurate, evidence-based and updated information about risks associated with Chagas disease.
Talk about Chagas diseases, without pointing to locations or ethnicity of people affected by the disease.
Be considerate and kind towards the people who are infected.

An estimated 10,000 people die every year from clinical manifestations of Chagas disease, and about 75 million people are at risk of acquiring the disease. Chagas disease impose a heavy and long burden on families, communities, health systems, economy, etc. To beat Chagas disease, it is crucial to achieve universal health coverage.
Chagas disease is a complex socio-economic, environmental health problem and the lack of understanding Chagas as a multidimensional challenge led to fragmented approaches and contributed to its neglected condition.
In many countries, there are low detection rates (<10%, frequently <1%) and frequent barriers to access adequate healthcare.
The implementation of case notification and establishment of robust surveillance systems are crucial to ending the prevalence and to defeating Chagas disease.

Countries should increase capacity and resources to invest in prevention, diagnosis, control and surveillance.
Countries should implement the case notification policy and set up system epidemiological surveillance.

Chagas disease is a complex socio-economic, environmental health problem and the lack of understanding Chagas as a multidimensional challenge led to fragmented approaches and contributed to its neglected condition.
Global joint efforts should be made in raising the awareness of the extent of illness, suffering, disability and death associated with Chagas disease.
Chagas disease affects more than 6 to 7 million people worldwide. It is one of the most prevalent public health threats in Latin America and increasingly in the other countries and continents. Chagas disease is becoming a global health challenge with enormous social and economic burdens for the people and community affected by it.
Chagas disease is often termed as “a silent and silenced disease” because it may not show symptoms and affects the people living poorly (neglected disease). People with Chagas disease usually have no access to quality medical care, nor a political voice. In many countries, the detection rates are low, i.e.<10%, frequently <1%.

Advocate the importance of case notification and systematic surveillance in the national health system.
Make joint efforts with the governments and health authorities in funding and establishing policies for case notification.
Increase investments in Chagas disease patients’ access to diagnosis, safe treatment, care, as well as in the disease epidemiological surveillance.

Chagas disease is a life-threatening disease transmitted by “kissing bugs”. People with Chagas disease may not have symptoms for many years. People affected by Chagas Disease are often populations lived in poverty. Thus it is also termed “a silent and silenced disease”.
It is important to notify the cases timely and to identify systematically “where the affected population are located” and “how many people are affected by Chagas disease”.

More research is needed on effective prevention and cost–effective interventions, including screening (blood, newborns and children, etc.), early case detection, prompt, accessible treatment of cases, vector control, hygiene and food safety.
Academia train health professionals and health students on case detection, notification treatment and effective epidemiological surveillance.

Chagas disease patients need equal access to diagnosis, safe treatment and care.
Increased global efforts to raise awareness of the consequences, suffering, disability and death associated with Chagas disease.

Early diagnosis and treatment can save lives.
Effective control measures can eliminate domiciliary vector-borne, oral, transfusional, organ transplantation and congenital transmissions.