Comprehensive Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease in the SICA countries

Central America January 30, 2023

In order to present the development history of the control of vectors that transmit Chagas disease in the countries of Central America, today the Exchange of Experiences on Comprehensive Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease in the countries of the SICA region, within the framework of the commemoration of the World Day of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency -JICA- has promoted collaborative scientific research work through the ?Integrated Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease? project. And on this occasion, the efforts of the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of El Salvador -MINEDUCYT-, the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America -SE COMISCA- and the General Secretariat of the Higher University Council join forces. Central American -SG CSUCA-, for the generation of said event.

To start the exchange of experiences, there was the participation of Alejandra Acuña Navarro, Executive Secretary of COMISCA; Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA; Yasutoshi Kido, Professor, Department of Virology and Parasitology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine and Researcher the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project; Masaru Kozono, Chief Representative of JICA El Salvador; Ariyoshi Katsuhide, Ambassador of Japan in El Salvador and Ricardo Cardona Alvarenga, Vice Minister of MINEDUCYT, Director of the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project.

?For our countries to move forward, we must work collaboratively and in solidarity, uniting all sectors to face the context of our societies,? said Carlos Alvarado, CSUCA Secretary General.

Within the process of exchanging experiences, the conference ?Neglected Tropical Diseases? by Yasutoshi Kido, ?Historical development of the control of vectors that transmit Chagas disease in El Salvador? by José Eduardo Romero, ?Results of the SATREPS-CHAGAS project? by Yuko Nitahara, Tatiana Ascencio, Marvin Núñez and Carmen Arias, ?MINEDUCYT perspective on scientific research applied to Chagas disease in Central America? by William Ernesto Mejía and the panel ?Exchange of experiences with other countries in the region on Chagas disease research? with the participation of Carlota Monroy, Marvin Stanley Rodríguez Aquino, María Mercedes Rueda, Concepción Zúñiga Valeriano and Manuel Gómez.

It should be noted that Chagas disease is an endemic parasitic disease in Latin America. More than 80% of infections are transmitted to humans through blood-sucking insects known as bedbugs, which live in houses with thatched roofs and cracks in mud walls. The majority of people who contract Chagas disease tend to be people with limited economic resources and belonging to the most vulnerable segment of the population.

In Central America, more than half of the population is at risk of contracting it. Although Chagas disease can be treated during the acute phase, the medication has strong side effects.