Interruption of mother-to-child transmission and detection and treatment of children of infected mothers as a contribution to eradicate Chagas disease in Europe

Abstract

Chagas disease is grouped among the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), according to the classification of WHO and among the Neglected Infectious Diseases susceptible to be eliminated according to PAHO (EID). Chagas disease is the most common NTD (or EID) in wide areas of South and Central America where the vector – an insect, which transmits the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi via its bite – and the great majority of patients live. However, due to population movements, this disease has now become a global problem, especially in the USA and Spain. The control of transmission by the vector or by blood transfusions has progressed considerably. However, transmission by other routes, namely oral and mother-to-child are still a challenge in regards of control and access to health care. In the countries where transmission by the vector doesn’t take place, vertical transmission is the main route of transmission. Taking into account that there is a huge gap in diagnosing and treating patients suffering from Chagas disease, early diagnosis and treatment of infected women in childbearing age, pregnant women and children, as well as asymptomatic infected people, is an important contribution towards the control of this disease which is potentially fatal if left untreated. Aiming for this objective, all available tools should be optimized and implemented. There are several countries and regions already implementing this strategy in this particular group of women and children. The advances achieved are a good example of the collaboration between organizations and institutions in the public and private sectors, although a greater political commitment is needed in order to achieve Chagas elimination as a public health problem by 2030 as promoted by the ETMI-Plus strategy established by PAHO, the new WHO-NTD road map, the UN sustainable development goals (SDG) and the program “No baby with Chagas” launched by the SEGIB.