• DNDi_Logo_No-Tagline_Full Colour
  • Our work
    • Diseases
      • Sleeping sickness
      • Visceral leishmaniasis
      • Cutaneous leishmaniasis
      • Chagas disease
      • Filaria: river blindness
      • Mycetoma
      • Paediatric HIV
      • Cryptococcal meningitis
      • Hepatitis C
      • Dengue
      • Pandemic preparedness
      • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Research & development
      • R&D portfolio & list of projects
      • Drug discovery
      • Translational research
      • Clinical trials
      • Registration & access
      • Treatments delivered
    • Advocacy
      • Open and collaborative R&D
      • Transparency of R&D costs
      • Pro-access policies and IP
      • Children’s health
      • Gender equity
      • Climate change
      • AI and new technologies
  • Networks & partners
    • Partnerships
      • Our partners
      • Partnering with us
    • Global networks
      • Chagas Platform
      • Dengue Alliance
      • HAT Platform
      • LEAP Platform
      • redeLEISH Network
    • DNDi worldwide
      • DNDi Switzerland
      • DNDi DRC
      • DNDi Eastern Africa
      • DNDi Japan
      • DNDi Latin America
      • DNDi North America
      • DNDi South Asia
      • DNDi South-East Asia
  • News & resources
    • News & stories
      • News
      • Stories
      • Statements
      • Viewpoints
      • Social media
      • eNews Newsletter
    • Press
      • Press releases
      • In the media
      • Podcasts, radio & TV
      • Media workshops
    • Resources
      • Scientific articles
      • Our publications
      • Videos
    • Events
  • About us
    • About
      • Who we are
      • How we work
      • Our strategy
      • Our donors
      • Annual reports
      • Our prizes and awards
      • Our story: 20 years of DNDi
    • Our people
      • Our leadership
      • Our governance
      • Contact us
    • Work with us
      • Working at DNDi
      • Job opportunities
      • Requests for proposal
  • Donate
  • DNDi_Logo_No-Tagline_Full Colour
  • Our work
    • Diseases
      • Sleeping sickness
      • Visceral leishmaniasis
      • Cutaneous leishmaniasis
      • Chagas disease
      • Filaria: river blindness
      • Mycetoma
      • Paediatric HIV
      • Cryptococcal meningitis
      • Hepatitis C
      • Dengue
      • Pandemic preparedness
      • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Research & development
      • R&D portfolio & list of projects
      • Drug discovery
      • Translational research
      • Clinical trials
      • Registration & access
      • Treatments delivered
    • Advocacy
      • Open and collaborative R&D
      • Transparency of R&D costs
      • Pro-access policies and IP
      • Children’s health
      • Gender equity
      • Climate change
      • AI and new technologies
  • Networks & partners
    • Partnerships
      • Our partners
      • Partnering with us
    • Global networks
      • Chagas Platform
      • Dengue Alliance
      • HAT Platform
      • LEAP Platform
      • redeLEISH Network
    • DNDi worldwide
      • DNDi Switzerland
      • DNDi DRC
      • DNDi Eastern Africa
      • DNDi Japan
      • DNDi Latin America
      • DNDi North America
      • DNDi South Asia
      • DNDi South-East Asia
  • News & resources
    • News & stories
      • News
      • Stories
      • Statements
      • Viewpoints
      • Social media
      • eNews Newsletter
    • Press
      • Press releases
      • In the media
      • Podcasts, radio & TV
      • Media workshops
    • Resources
      • Scientific articles
      • Our publications
      • Videos
    • Events
  • About us
    • About
      • Who we are
      • How we work
      • Our strategy
      • Our donors
      • Annual reports
      • Our prizes and awards
      • Our story: 20 years of DNDi
    • Our people
      • Our leadership
      • Our governance
      • Contact us
    • Work with us
      • Working at DNDi
      • Job opportunities
      • Requests for proposal
  • Donate
Home > Press releases

Colombia becomes first country to recommend rapid tests to diagnose Chagas disease

New technical guidelines from Colombia's National Institute of Health based on research supported by DNDi will enable earlier treatment of Chagas disease nationwide.

Home > Press releases

Colombia becomes first country to recommend rapid tests to diagnose Chagas disease

New technical guidelines from Colombia's National Institute of Health based on research supported by DNDi will enable earlier treatment of Chagas disease nationwide.

Bogota — 5 Jun 2025
  • English
    • English
    • Español
    • Português

Colombia’s National Institute of Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud, or INS) has presented technical guidelines for the use of rapid diagnostic tests to detect antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

The recommendations, announced on 21 May, should help doctors and other healthcare providers diagnose patients earlier – and therefore accelerate access to life-saving treatment. They are the result of a series of studies conducted in Colombia by the INS with technical support from the not-for-profit medical research organization Drugs For Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

The announcement represents a milestone in expanding access to diagnosis and treatment for patients with Chagas disease, especially in remote areas and among vulnerable populations.

Since 2017, Chagas disease serological diagnosis in Colombia has relied on two laboratory-based ELISA tests. However, difficulty accessing these tests, particularly in remote regions that are far from the specialized facilities that perform them, has limited timely diagnosis. Since starting antiparasitic treatment as soon as possible is essential to preventing the progression of Chagas disease, early diagnosis is key to efforts to eliminate this deadly neglected disease as a public health problem.

To address challenges in access to timely diagnosis, three studies were conducted that provide the evidence needed to support the new technical guidelines and ensure the appropriate use of rapid tests that are faster and far simpler than traditional laboratory-based testing. These included 1) a comparative retrospective evaluation of 11 different rapid test kits for Chagas disease under laboratory conditions, 2) a prospective study to assess the performance of four rapid tests in pregnant women, including members of Indigenous communities, and 3) a prospective study to evaluate the performance of two rapid tests when used in parallel in the general population.

The new recommendations based on these studies apply to all healthcare institutions and providers who will use rapid tests to diagnose Chagas disease in the country.

‘Since 2017, Colombia has made progress in Chagas disease diagnosis, but we still face challenges in ensuring timely testing, especially in rural areas,’ said Diana Pava, General Director of the INS. ‘That’s why implementing a diagnostic algorithm using rapid tests is so important to improve access to diagnosis and treatment for chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection.’

‘Rapid tests can transform access to diagnosis in Colombia if they are implemented effectively and appropriately in the most affected areas,’ said Andrea Marchiol, DNDi’s Medical Coordinator for Chagas Access Projects in Latin America. ‘We want this innovation to be more than just a recommendation – we want it to represent a real and sustainable shift in access to quality healthcare for people affected by Chagas disease in the region.’

The success of the Colombian experience could also serve as a model for other countries, added Marchiol. ‘The impact of this collaborative process should not be limited to Colombia. This is an example that can be adapted by other countries where Chagas disease is endemic.’

About DNDi

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit medical research organization that discovers, develops, and delivers safe, effective, and affordable treatments for neglected populations. DNDi is developing medicines for sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, river blindness, mycetoma, dengue, paediatric HIV, cryptococcal meningitis, and hepatitis C. Its research priorities include children’s health; gender equity and gender-responsive R&D; and diseases impacted by climate change. Since its creation in 2003, DNDi has collaborated with public and private partners worldwide to deliver twelve new treatments for six deadly diseases, saving millions of lives. dndi.org

Media contacts

Vania Alves (in Rio de Janeiro)
valves@dndi.org

Frédéric Ojardias (in Geneva) 
+41 79 431 62 16 
fojardias@dndi.org 

Partnership Chagas disease Latin America

Read, watch, share

Loading...
News
6 Jun 2025

DNDi is partnering with Médecins Sans Frontières South Asia for the Without Borders Media Fellowship 2025 

News
5 Jun 2025

Meet the DNDi Eastern Africa 2024-2025 Media Fellows

Statements
27 May 2025

DNDi interventions at the 78th World Health Assembly

Press releases
22 May 2025

Six African nations commit to eliminate deadly neglected disease visceral leishmaniasis

Videos
20 May 2025

The Children of the Sierra

Press releases
13 May 2025

First all-oral treatment for a rare but deadly strain of sleeping sickness now available and being used to treat patients in endemic countries in Africa

Statements
8 May 2025

DNDi’s briefing note for 78th World Health Assembly

Marco Krieger
News
30 Apr 2025

Message on the passing of Dr Marco Aurélio Krieger, Vice-President of Production and Innovation in Health, Fiocruz

VIEW ALL

Help neglected patients

To date, we have delivered thirteen new treatments, saving millions of lives.

Our goal is to deliver 25 new treatments in our first 25 years. You can help us get there. 

GIVE NOW
Linkedin-in Instagram Twitter Facebook-f Youtube
International non-profit developing safe, effective, and affordable treatments for the most neglected patients.

Learn more

  • Diseases
  • Neglected tropical diseases
  • R&D portfolio
  • Policy advocacy

Get in touch

  • Our offices
  • Contact us
  • Integrity Line

Support us

  • Donate
  • Subscribe to eNews

Work with us

  • Join research networks
  • Jobs
  • RFPs
  • Terms of Use   
  •   Acceptable Use Policy   
  •   Privacy Policy   
  •   Cookie Policy   
  •   Our policies   

  • Except for images, films and trademarks which are subject to DNDi’s Terms of Use, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Switzerland License