Panel Discussion
Advancing Life-Saving R&D Innovations for People Living with Chagas Disease – The Silent Killer
This evening panel discussed developing new and innovative life-saving health tools for patients afflicted with Chagas disease, the leading parasitic killer of the Americas.
Chagas disease is a silent killer in Latin America, the US, and internationally. Much more needs to be done today to save the lives of neglected Chagas disease patients, including scaling up screening and treatment, and boosting R&D of new health tools, including drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Coinciding with the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 62nd Annual Meeting, this side event took place at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and brought together patients, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to shed light on the treatment and research needs of people living with Chagas disease.
Program/speakers:
Program begins at about 05:40:
- 05:40-08:40: Opening video
- 08:45-09:30: Introduction by Eric Stobbaerts, DNDi Latin America
- 09:32-19:05: Peter Hotez, Sabin Vaccine Institute/National School of Tropical Medicine/Baylor College of Medicine
- 19:05-25:30: Isabela Ribeiro, DNDi
- 25:39-31:45: Rachel Marcus, Medical Director, LaSocha (US Chagas patients’ association)
- 32:00-38:00: Sonia Tarragona, Mundo Sano Foundation, representing Global Chagas Disease Coalition
- 38:11-43:15: Luis Gerardo Castellanos, PAHO
- 43:20-47:17: Jenny Sanchez, President, LaSocha
- 47:20-1:09:21: Discussion, moderated by Estrella Lasry, Doctors Without Borders
Organizers/Sponsors:
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
Sabin Vaccine Institute
National School of Tropical Medicine
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Research!America
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Global Chagas Disease Coalition (DNDi, Carlos Slim Health Institute, Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Mundo Sano Foundation, CEADES, ISGlobal)
