Bolivia: Platform for the Comprehensive Care of Patients With Chagas Disease

Bolivia & Paraguay

Platform for the Comprehensive Care of Patients With Chagas Disease

Photo: Andalu Vila San Juan

Chagas disease –one of the world's most prevalent neglected diseases– is endemic across Latin America and rates of infection are particularly high in Bolivia. ISGlobal is currently involved in a number of projects in Bolivia together with the Ministry of Health (the National Chagas Programme), the Universidad Mayor de San Simón de Cochabamba, the Hospital Viedma and CEADES (a Bolivian non-government organisation involved in Chagas prevention at the community level), such as the Strengthening of the National Chagas Control Program for an Integral Treatment of the Disease in Bolivia, funded by the Spa­nish Agency for International Cooperation for Deve­lopment (AECID). Current projects include:

  • Developing research protocols in a scientific platform located in Bolivia, including a clinical trial of a new drug in collaboration with Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) and the development of new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease.
  • Platform for the Comprehensive Care of Patients With Chagas Disease aimed to provide comprehensive healthcare (prevention, diagnosis and treatment) in both rural areas and the major cities in parts of the country where the disease is endemic. The focus of this work, in collaboration with Bolivian national health service, is particularly on the care of adult patients with chronic disease.
  • Training healthcare professionals in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of the Chagas disease.

In addition, ISGlobal promoted the creation of the Ibero-American NHEPACHA network that aims to accelerate the development of new tools for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with the Chagas disease.

Since 2020, ISGlobal has been working with the Paraguayan authorities on research, knowledge sharing and access to care. In 2021, we participated in the development of the country's first Chagas disease management guidelines, a fundamental tool to support the work of health workers in improving the control, diagnosis and treatment of this disease in adult patients, women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children. We have also supported a triangular cooperation project between Bolivia, Paraguay and Spain, aimed at sharing knowledge between professionals trained by the Bolivian Chagas platform and their Paraguayan counterparts.

 

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