Paraguay

Thousands of people with Chagas disease will go untreated in coming months due to a shortage of benznidazole, the first-line drug used in most endemic countries.

This crisis could have been prevented but the major player involved, the Brazilian Ministry of Health, has shirked its responsibilities and is evidently unwilling to overcome the various challenges. 

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) and is transmitted mainly by insects called triatomines, also known as ‘assassin bugs’ or ‘kissing bugs’. It is endemic in 21 Latin American countries and cases have also been reported in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

Recently, Chagas projects have seen their treatment capacities limited due to a shortage in benznidazole, a first-line drug manufactured by only one laboratory in Brazil. 

In addition to integrating diagnosis and treatment pf Chagas disease in health centers, MSF visits remote communities and schools assisting the populations unable to reach the clinics.