The Training Centre of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra hosted the 19th Workshop on Chagas Disease on 29-30 May. Held in Bolivia for the first time, the hybrid-format event brought together 487 participants (233 in person and 254 online) from 33 countries (mainly from Bolivia, Spain and Argentina). The organisers described the reception as exceptional, highlighting “the enthusiastic participation and strong commitment of Bolivian institutions and professionals, which added great value to the meeting.”
This edition, organised by ISGlobal, the Fundación Salud Naturaleza Integral (SANIT) and the Global Chagas Coalition, focused on the urgent need to strengthen access to comprehensive healthcare for people affected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Particular emphasis was placed on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Chagasic cardiomyopathy, one of the most serious complications associated with the infection. This topic was addressed in a symposium promoted by Novartis on the second day of the conference.
Strengthening capacities and partnerships to advance common strategies
This edition was opened by the Spanish Ambassador to Bolivia, the distinguished Mr Fernando García Casas, among other dignitaries, and was attended by professionals from the clinical field, researchers, institutional representatives, public health experts and patient representatives. Throughout keynote presentations, workshops and roundtable discussions, topics such as epidemiological surveillance, community care, the key role of training health personnel and international cooperation were addressed.
The conference also provided opportunities for dialogue and technical collaboration between local, national and international institutions, with the aim of strengthening health systems at all levels and generating networks that will enable progress towards a more equitable, sustainable and effective response to Chagas disease.
A forum where science, government and communities come together
In a context where more than six million people in Latin America live with the infection—many of whom still do not have access to diagnosis and treatment—the organisers stressed the importance of maintaining political, institutional and scientific momentum in the fight against one of the most neglected infectious diseases globally.
“The high attendance and the quality of the presentations reaffirm the need to continue promoting spaces for scientific exchange and regional collaboration in order to advance towards universal access to diagnosis and treatment for this neglected disease,” said Julio Alonso Padilla, director of ISGlobal's Chagas Initiative. The researcher also stressed that the conference provided “an opportunity to showcase innovative local experiences and strengthen alliances that can help build sustainable, person-centred solutions.”
Joaquim Gascon: a leading figure in the fight against Chagas
The 19th Workshop on Chagas Disease also provided opportunities for informal exchanges, networking moments, and a heartfelt tribute to Joaquim Gascon in recognition of his outstanding professional career and tireless research into this neglected disease. Gascon is an international leader in the field of tropical medicine. He helped lay the foundations for what ISGlobal is today and, dedicating much of his professional career to the study of Chagas disease, made a decisive contribution to scientific knowledge and the strengthening of health systems in Latin America.
Lecture by Joaquim Gascon during the 19th Workshop on Chagas Disease.
The event was supported by the pharmaceutical company Novartis, as well as by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), through Nagasaki University. Additional collaboration came from the Departmental Health Service of the Autonomous Departmental Government of Santa Cruz, the Gabriel René Moreno Autonomous University (UAGRM), the Bolivian Society of Cardiology (SOBOCAR), and the Santa Cruz Society of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy.
With this edition, the Workshop on Chagas Disease reinforces its role as a leading forum for advancing knowledge, exchanging best practices and improving healthcare for a disease that, even today, continues to silently affect millions of people in vulnerable situations.
