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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Gustavo Tapia, MD MPH¹, Carlos Salinas¹, Silvia Nole¹, Luis Tam, MD DrPH², and Karina Gamarra³. (1) Plan Bolivia, call3 5 #594 de Achumani Bajo, esq Av 33 Tomasa Murillo, Zona Sur, La Paz, Bolivia, 591-2-2771610, luis.tam@planusa.org, (2) Plan USA, 1730 N Lynn St Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209, (3) Chagas control program, Plan International Inc. Bolivia, Calle La Madrid No. 732, Tarija, Bolivia

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease (or American trypanosomiasis)is endemic in Bolivia. Nearly 1.5 million Bolivians (especially in rural areas) are currently infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, causing nearly 15% of deaths among persons aged 15-75 years. Due to this situation, Plan Bolivia and Pro-Habitat implemented a six-year prevention and control project (2000-2006) in the departments of Sucre and Tarija. Both departments harbor the heaviest burden of Chagas disease in the country. The project was funded by the Government of Bolivia, DFID, the European Union and the Government of Netherlands. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES: The project aimed to: (a) the reduction of the house infestation by the Triatoma vector, by promoting preventive behaviors among household members, by improving the physical environment and by providing indoor residual spraying, and (b) in communities achieving low infestation rates, the provision of treatment (with Benznidazole) to sero-positive children aged 5-12 years. PROJECT RESULTS: A total of 60,000 inhabitants living in 15,000 houses of 6 districts of both departments were directly benefitted. Triatoma infestation within the houses decreased from 80% to 5%, more than 80% of household members practiced recommended preventive behaviors and 86% of the 1400 children treated with Benznidazole had a significant decrease in their serologic titre. The project had a total cost of USD 18 million, of which 8 million (44%) were family contributions and USD 3 million (17%) came from the central and local governments. CONSEQUENCES: (1) Participating families building new homes follow the project's guidelines, (2) international NGOs are using the project's experience to develop similar endeavors in other parts of the country, (3) central and local governments are budgeting project components within their regular allocations and (4) the central government is issuing policy norms for Chagas control which apply the best of the project's experience.

Learning Objectives:

• Present the epidemiological and social challenges of Chagas diseases in rural Bolivia.
• Discuss the successful experience of Plan Bolivia and its partners for sustainable and at-scale Chagas control in rural Bolivia

Keywords: Community Health, Infectious Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered