World Chagas Disease Day 2022-Finding and reporting every case to defeat chagas disease

Overview

World Chagas Disease Day is celebrated on April 14 to raise awareness on this neglected disease. It was first celebrated on April 14, 2020, following the approval and endorsement received by the World Health Assembly at WHO in May 2019. World Chagas Day seeks to give visibility and attention to Chagas and to enhance awareness among all, to improve Chagas early detection, achieve expanded coverage of diagnosis and equitable access to clinical care for all.

Diseases

• Chagas disease is also known as American trypanosomiasis.
• 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 infected majority have no symptoms or extremely mild symptom.
• There are approximately 6-7 million people infected with Chagas disease worldwide, with 10,000 deaths, every year.
• 6–7 million infected, worldwide.
• Approximately 10,000 disease-related deaths, every year.
• 30,000-40,000 new cases every year.

Theme 2022

The theme for 2022 is finding and reporting every case to defeat chagas disease. In many countries, there are low detection rates (<10%, frequently <1%) and frequent barriers to access adequate healthcare.

Source of Info: WHO