Project profile — Prevention and Control of Chagas and Leishmaniasis Diseases in Honduras

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) elimination of the most frequent form of vectoral transmission of Chagas disease (the beetle Rhodnius prolixus); (2) reduction of household infestation by the beetle Triatoma dimidiata from 30% to 5% in Chagas endemic areas; (3) provision of medical treatment from 90% to 100% of all children under 15 years of age with Chagas disease in endemic areas; (4) reduction by 75% in the number of cases of non-ulcerated Leishmaniasis; (5) increased number of infected individuals receiving treatment for Leishmaniasis from 1,250 to 3,600 in departments of intervention; and (6) maintaining 100% screening of all blood donations for Chagas disease at national blood banks.

Results achieved by the Honduran Ministry of Health with the support of the Government of Canada as of March 2017: (1) the fumigation of 487,133 households to eliminate vector insects carriers of Chagas and Leishmaniosis diseases; (2) 281 communities implemented surveillance systems for Chagas and Leishmaniosis diseases; (3) 28,606 pregnant women in high endemic areas for Chagas disease were screened for this disease; (4) no reported infestation of the Rhodnius prolixus vector, marking it the sixth consecutive year of being free of this vector across Honduras.