Brunch and COP30 at the Gateway to the Amazon — and to Chagas Disease

The açaí we enjoy at urban brunches connects us to the Amazon, where the fruit can transmit Chagas disease. Human and planetary health go hand in hand.

More and more city dwellers enjoy brunch with bowls of açaí, a superfood packed with antioxidants. The açaí eaten mid-morning in Barcelona, Paris or New York mostly comes from the State of Pará, in Brazil — where significant outbreaks of Chagas disease are also found. There, the fruit is usually consumed as a juice, and when contaminated, it becomes a route of oral transmission of the disease — one that can cause some of the most severe and deadly forms of Chagas.

The Amazon: biodiversity and health

The Amazon harbours nearly 25% of all known plant species and around 20% of the planet’s freshwater reserves. Its immense green canopy helps regulate the global climate, but beneath it coexist large cities, small villages, and isolated Indigenous communities. This diversity makes health surveillance difficult and favours the emergence of vector-borne diseases.

The link between the region and Chagas disease dates back to 1924, when Brazilian researcher Carlos Chagas identified the parasite in animals and wild triatomine bugs from the area. For much of the 20th century, human infection was considered exceptional, as local insects were not thought to infest homes. The disease was therefore seen as enzootic but not endemic in the Amazon.

Chagas on the rise

Recent studies have shown that human infections are more common than expected, with active foci and infection rates above 5% in some Amazonian territories. The spread of açaí and other factors — such as deforestation, internal migration, and agricultural expansion — have increased contact between humans, vectors, and wild reservoirs. This indicates that vector-borne, and particularly oral, transmission of Chagas is on the rise, especially in the eastern Amazon.

The expansion of açaí and other factors — such as deforestation, internal migration, and agricultural growth — have fostered contact between humans, vectors, and wild reservoirs. This suggests that vector-borne, and especially oral, transmission of Chagas is increasing, particularly in the eastern Amazon.

In Latin America, almost 100 million people are at risk of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi, with 8 million affected and thousands of deaths each year. Transmission can occur through the bite of triatomine bugs, contact with their faeces, or from mother to child. If undetected and untreated, 4 in 10 people will develop severe complications, mainly cardiac.

Regional cooperation for health

A recent meeting of Chagas control managers from the nine Amazonian countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela), held in Belém do Pará, focused on this growing challenge. Together with the PAHO and other organisations, the countries developed a regional strategy to be adapted to each specific territory.

Even if it seems far away, all of us — even those enjoying açaí brunches in Barcelona or Los Angeles — depend on the immense fragility of the Amazon and its ability to survive. Another reminder that the fight for health must always be global, or it is not.

Experts agree that early detection, community education, and cross-border cooperation are essential to prevent Chagas from becoming an endemic threat in the region.

A global reminder

The Amazon is not only a natural treasure but also a reminder of the close relationship between the environment and human health. In the face of Chagas’ expansion, strengthening epidemiological surveillance and scientific research is key to protecting both biodiversity and the populations that depend on it. For this reason, it would be desirable for the health agenda of COP30 to include concern about the spread of Chagas.

At the green heart of our planet, the health of the forest and of humans beat in unison. And even if it feels far away, all of us — even those having açaí brunches in Barcelona or Los Angeles — depend on the immense fragility of the Amazon and its ability to survive. Another reason to understand that the fight for health is always global — or it is not.