Rethinking Chagas Disease

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, together with Fundación Mundo Sano, hosted the 2nd Rethinking Chagas Workshop on May 19 and 20, 2021. The goal of the virtual workshop was to convene a group of experts on Chagas disease in order to discuss the agenda for action on this neglected disease. The event was divided into three sessions:

1. Models of Care for Chagas Disease in the United States
2. Strengthening Diagnostic Testing for Chagas Disease in the United States
3. Promoting Clinical Excellence in the Care of People with Chagas Disease

The meeting highlighted current and future research and community-based activities that are needed to advance the agenda for Chagas disease in the United States as a follow-on to the first workshop on Rethinking Chagas held in October 2018.  

Participants identified significant progress since the first workshop and proposed specific action points to continue improvements on screening, diagnosis, treatment, and integrated care for people with Chagas disease in the United States. 

The meeting included a special session with US Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus,  to discuss activities in the US Congress on Hispanic health and immigration and opportunities to address health system challenges for Chagas disease and communities most affected by this infection in the US.

On October 22, 2018, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health held a workshop in Boston on "Rethinking Chagas: Reshaping the Agenda for Chagas Disease in the United States." The meeting was co-sponsored by Fundación Mundo Sano and the Global Chagas Disease Coalition and aimed to discuss health system challenges to expand access to care for Chagas disease in the United States.

The meeting had three specific objectives:

1. To discuss current health system barriers to widespread and effective screening, diagnosis, treatment and outreach for Chagas disease in the United States.
2. To determine how to better leverage current evidence to improve screening, diagnosis, treatment and outreach for Chagas disease in the United States.
3. To identify where and how to improve policy for patients with Chagas disease in the United States.