Impact of Structural Barriers on Undocumented Migrants at Risk of Chagas Disease in Switzerland: A Double Burden of Neglect

Abstract

Chagas disease, a major public health concern in Latin America, has become a global public health challenge. Switzerland is considered an example in providing healthcare access to migrants, however, Chagas disease remains largely underdiagnosed in the estimated three to four thousand Latin American migrants infected. This paper discusses the sociopolitical and economic factors that contribute to the neglect of Chagas disease in Switzerland. People with irregular migration status face structural constraints that hinder their access to care. The Latin American population in Switzerland, regardless of legal status, faces health inequalities due to the lack of services providing care for Chagas disease. Through a discussion of global inequalities and neoliberal markets, this paper argues that to provide migrants (regardless of their migratory status) with the optimal level of health care, Chagas disease must be considered a local public health issue, rather than an imported Latin American disease.