World Chagas Disease Day 14 April 2023
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.
In 2023 we are shining a spotlight on Chagas disease, the suffering it causes and are calling for equitable access to health care and services for everyone affected by the disease.
World Chagas Disease Day 2023: Time to integrate Chagas disease into PHC
The theme for 2023 is Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care, so that universal care and surveillance start at the most decentralized level of the health system. 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 infected majority have no symptoms or extremely mild symptom. There are approximately 6-7 million people infected with Chagas disease worldwide, with 12,000 deaths, every year.
Source of info: WHO
