World Chagas Disease 2024; April 14th.

FORUM: ‘‘Early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.“ World Chagas Disease 2024. The slogan this year aims to raise awareness among patients, their families and health workers about the need for early (timely) diagnosis and lifelong follow-up of people affected by the disease. In many countries, there are low detection rates (<10%, frequently <1%) and frequent barriers to access adequate healthcare. Chagas disease is prevalent among poor populations of continental Latin America but is increasingly being detected in other countries and continents. It is often termed as a “silent and silenced disease” as the majority of infected people have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. There are approximately 6-7 million people infected with Chagas disease worldwide, with 10,000 deaths, every year. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #14April, #WorldChagasDiseaseDay.

EVENTS: The WHO and the PAHO will hold an online event to mark the World Chagas Disease 2024 under the slogan ‘‘Early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.“ the events will seek to give visibility and attention to Chagas and raise the level of awareness in everyone about the importance of improving early detection, expanding diagnostic coverage and equitable access to clinical care for the disease.

WEBINARS: On April 10th, 2024, starting at 11:00 am. – US Eastern Time; 12:00 pm. - Argentina 10:00 am. - Colombia; 09:00 a.m. – Mexico and Central America. You are invited to participate to the virtual event entitled ''Chagas exists and we can eliminate it.", this conversation with people from different sectors, whose contributions and perspectives will seek to enrich and exchange the perceptions and concepts of this problem, beyond the biomedical approach. We will have representatives from the world of cinema, anthropology, journalism and medicine. Join us and help us broaden and expand awareness about this disease to detect it early and give the comprehensive care that affected people need. The webinar will be streamed by the PAHO. Watch the webinar!

STATEMENTS: Read the Message from the WHO Director General on World Chagas Diseases Day 2024; April 14th and the Statement of the PAHO Regional Director on behalf World Chagas Disease Day 2024; April 14.