Chagas Treatment

On Monday the 14th, I began the Chagas Prevention Project. I went to the fields to visit kids from 1st grade to 9th grade in public schools to the follow up of the Chagas treatment. What they do is, they visit every single school in the Tarija department; including those hidden in the mountains where the poorest people live. They take a blood sample of every single kid. They examine the blood and if the test comes positive of Chagas, they send letters to the parents notifying that the kid will have to be treated for a 2-month period with an anti-parasite. The drug is strong; therefore, parents have to make sure the kid eats well and does not get allergic reactions. The daily dose of treatment varies on kid’s weight and age. It is taken twice a day after a full meal. Every week, the doctor pays a visit to the infected kids to check on treatment and adverse reactions. Also, she randomly visits households to make sure kids aren’t lying about their intake… but , what is it so important, right? Chagas is a fatal infection if left untreated; which can be seen in adults that were not treated early. For these people all that is left is to treat the symptoms. Now, what is Chagas exactly? Chagas is a disease produced by a parasite called Tripanosoma cruzi; which primarily affects the heart and the intestines, leading to an irreversible damage. Chagas is transmitted through the vinchuca. The vinchucha bites people to feed itself. When it bites, it leaves its feces on the skin in which parasites are found. Then when people scratch the bite, parasites enter the organism. The treatment is carried out with a drug called Benzinidazol for 60 days with weekly controls performed by health professionals. The treatment is effective when Chagas is detected and treated on time. There is hindrancein this process; people that we visit are extremely poor and uneducated. We extremely encourage parents to manage their kids treatment; however, most of the time they don’t speak Spanish, they don’t understand the seriousness of the illness, nor they know how to read/check the drug schedule that is given to them. Kids and parents from the fields are too shy and get intimidated by strangers that sometimes this limits their capacity to pay attention to what is being explained to them. Fortunately, these visits are a weekly basis. Once they become familiarized with their doctor, they are willing to listen. These people may not be educated but they are extremely welcoming and charming. They barely have food, yet they offered us something to eat with a big smile on their face. They kiss those who help them, and say a million times ‘gracias’. We visited communities Monday, Tuesday, and today; and I sincerely say that I certainly experienced pure Love.