Chagas disease: review of needs, neglect, and obstacles to treatment access in Latin America

After more than one century since its discovery, Chagas disease is still extremely prevalent in 21 Latin American countries. Chagas disease is one of the most concerning public health problems in Latin America; the overall cost of CD treatment is approximately 7 billion United States dollars per year and it has a strong social impact on populations. Little progress has been made regarding the access to diagnosis and treatment at the primary health care level, calling into question the current policies to ensure the right to health and access to essential medications. In this article, diverse dimensions of access to treatment for Chagas disease are reviewed, illustrating the present state of benznidazole medication in relation to global production capacity, costs, and needs. The findings are based on an investigation requested by Medecins Sans Frontieres Brazil through a consultancy in 2015, aiming to estimate the current costs of benznidazole production.