The CUIDA Chagas Project – “Communities United for Innovation, Development and Care for Chagas Disease” – is led by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil. It has logistical, administrative and financial support from the Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development of Health (Fiotec) and works in partnership with the National Institute of Health Laboratories (INLASA), from Bolivia; the National Health Institute (INS), from Colombia; the National Malaria Eradication Service (SENEPA), from Paraguay; and FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics. It is funded by Unitaid and co-funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

The project combines implementation research, diagnostic and clinical innovation, community engagement and market interventions. Its objective is to contribute to the elimination of vertical transmission of Chagas disease in Latin America, improving and expanding access to diagnosis, treatment and care for affected people.

CUIDA Chagas represents an unprecedented advance in achieving the elimination of vertical transmission of Chagas disease in our region. It reinforces the importance of cooperation and regional integration to overcome the many challenges faced by Latin American peoples in the face of neglected diseases.

The CUIDA Chagas consortium was created in order to change the scenario of neglect that surrounds Chagas disease. The consortium is made up of governmental and non-governmental institutions that are widely recognized in the area of public health.

Based on strategic alliances and a consolidated governance structure, each consortium member contributes with specific actions in the different territories where the project is implemented and provides technical and scientific input.

This form of organization and management provides the project with institutional legitimacy, technical-scientific solidity, and sustainability. By working closely together with government institutions, the results and evidence generated by CUIDA Chagas may be incorporated in public policies, thereby guaranteeing the right to adequate health care for people and communities affected by Chagas disease in Latin America.