Members of the Chagas Coalition (ISGlobal and CEADES), published yesterday a new interesting article in PLOS magazine to share the Bolivian Chagas Platform model for scaling up access to care of adults in Bolivia (the country with highest prevalence of the infection) .
"Created in 2009 and based on the establishment of a vertical care system under the umbrella of Chagas National Program general guidelines, six centres specialized in Chagas disease's management were established in different epidemiological contexts. A common database, standardized clinical forms, a and a protocolized attention to adults patients, together with training activities for health professionals were essential for the model success", explained their authors: doctors María Jesús Pinazo, Jimy Pinto, Lourdes Ortiz, Jareth Sánchez, Wilson García, Ruth Saravia, Mirko Rojas, Silvia Moriana, Enric Grau, Daniel Lozano, Joaquim Gascon and Faustino Torrico.
With the collaboration and knowledge transfer between endemic and non-endemic countries, and the support of the Spanish International Cooperation, in a period of 5 years "a total of 26,227 patients were attended by the Platform, 69% (18,316) were diagnosed with T. cruzi, 8,567 initiated anti-parasitic treatment, more than 1,616 health professionals were trained, and more than ten research projects developed. The project helped to increase the number of adults with CD diagnosed and treated".
The National Program is now considering the Platform’s health care model for an implementation in he National Health System structures.
