Since February 1, 2024, the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health (TMGH) has been implementing the Community-Based Maternal and Child Chagas Disease Control Project (COMICH Project) in La Guardia Municipality, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. This initiative is commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its grassroots technical cooperation program (partner type).

Chagas disease is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is primarily transmitted by triatomine bugs. Importantly, the disease can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, posing a significant public health challenge. In Bolivia, it is estimated that 300 to 600 newborns are at risk of congenital transmission each year.

The COMICH Project focuses on two main pillars:
(1) Education and awareness-raising for healthcare workers and local residents
(2) Development of an information system to strengthen maternal and child health responses to Chagas disease.

On May 29–30, 2025, the 19th Workshop on Chagas Disease, organized by ISGlobal (Spain), was held at the Spanish Embassy in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The workshop brought together experts and researchers on Chagas disease from both within Bolivia and internationally to exchange knowledge and experiences.

Professor Kenji Hirayama, the COMICH Project leader from TMGH, gave a presentation on the outcomes of over 20 years of research on Chagas disease, along with an overview of the current COMICH Project. This marked the first time that such an international workshop on Chagas disease was held in Bolivia, reflecting the growing global attention toward this important public health issue.

The COMICH Project is scheduled to run for three years, until January 2027, and has now reached its midpoint. Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with local stakeholders and communities to contribute to the improvement of maternal and child health measures against Chagas disease in Bolivia.

Updates on the project’s progress are regularly shared on our official Facebook. We welcome your continued interest and support.