NHEPACHA

NHEPACHA is an Ibero-American network formed by 12 research groups from 9 countries working in the field of Chagas disease. The network was created to foster research activity and the exchange of knowledge and experiences and to build on the skills needed to develop new tools and biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment, evaluation and management of Chagas disease and to improve existing ones.

Objectives

• • Establish a research, development and innovation framework to identify potential new drugs as well as biomarkers that will aid in the diagnosis and management of Chagas disease and in the evaluation of new drugs in future clinical trials. Specific actions will include:
  • the identification of joint research topics
  • the fostering of academic exchanges among researchers

• Promote the exchange of knowledge through:
  • training and work exchange programmes for members of the network
  • workshops
  • the production and dissemination of consensus statements and reviews on topics related to the goals of the network
• Plan operational studies and multicentre clinical trials to test new tools and improve existing ones, through:
  • the design and coordination of research projects
  • the creation of a standardised database for monitoring patients with Chagas disease
  • the transfer of technology to the biomedical industry and national health systems

Members of the network

• IMT-UCV (Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela).
• FIOCRUZ-IOC (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz – Instituto Oswaldo Cruz) Brazil.
• ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Spain
• CIEI-PUCE (Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador), Ecuador.
• UA-CIMPAT (Universidad de los Andes), Colombia.
• IPBLN-CSIC. (Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra), Spain.
• CRISP –INSP (Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Mexico.
• DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative).
• INGEBI (Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• CENDIE, (Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación de Endemoepidemias), Argentina.
• UMSS. (Universidad Mayor de San Simón), Bolivia.
• HIGA (Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos Eva Perón, Sección Chagas, Servicio de Cardiología), Argentina
• Fundación Mundo Sano, Argentina.