Orbituary The Azoh- Mbi and Egbe families of Awing, Santa and Eyanchang Manyu – Central, announce the transition into eternity of their wife, mother, daughter, sister and auntie. Mrs. Mercy Azoh-Mbi NÉe Enow-Mbi Egbe The Death occurred on Sunday July 02, 2023 at the Heart Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa following a protracted illness. Repatriation to Cameroon and funeral arrangements will be announced later. Solomon Azoh-Mbi High Commissioner of the Republic of Cameroon to the Republic of South Africa.
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION Pretoria
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION The Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation will be officially launched in PRETORIA on October 23, 2024. The book MIRACLE OF MERCY, which presents the Foundation’s raison d’être, will also be officially launched on this occasion. Rental: Pretoria
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION OTTAWA
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION The Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation will be officially launched in OTTAWA on September 19, 2024. The book MIRACLE OF MERCY, which presents the Foundation’s raison d’être, will also be officially launched on this occasion. Rental: Gloucester Presbyterian Church, 91 Pike St, Ottawa ON K1T3J6
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION Yde
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MERCY AZOH-MBI HEART FOUNDATION The Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation will be officially launched in YAOUNDÉ on August 27, 2024. The book MIRACLE OF MERCY, which presents the Foundation’s raison d’être, will also be officially launched on this occasion. Rental: Hilton Hotel, Yaoundé
Addressing Neglected Cardiovascular Conditions in Women and Children
Addressing Neglected Cardiovascular Conditions in Women and Children This statement was delivered by the World Heart Federation under agenda item 13.9 – Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health – at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly. Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation applauds the Director-General for his report and welcomes the newly released guidelines on rheumatic heart disease – a neglected, yet preventable, cardiovascular condition that disproportionately affects women and children. Cardiovascular disease remains the foremost cause of death among women and a major contributor to maternal mortality worldwide. Rheumatic heart disease continues to drive maternal morbidity and mortality in many low-resource settings. Yet, it remains underdiagnosed and insufficiently integrated into reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health policies. Timely detection and coordinated multidisciplinary care across the life course are essential. As such, we urge Member States to prioritize standardized and comprehensive cardiovascular care within universal health coverage, primary health care, and maternal health strategies to close persistent gaps and improve outcomes. Thank you
Advancing Cardiovascular Health on the Global Stage
Advancing Cardiovascular Health on the Global Stage The World Heart Federation (WHF) proudly represented the global cardiovascular community at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), which concluded on 27 May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout the Health Assembly, WHF delivered a series of high-impact statements across a range of agenda items to ensure that cardiovascular health remains central to global health priorities, debates, and decisions. In particular, WHF led a constituency statement on climate change and health and delivered individual statements on noncommunicable diseases, substandard and falsified medical products, maternal health and rheumatic heart disease, health emergencies, and pollution. WHF also co-led a constituency statement with NCD Alliance on universal health coverage, highlighting a need for equitable access to essential health services for circulatory conditions, especially cardiovascular disease. Key Advocacy Highlights Agenda Item 13.1 – Noncommunicable Diseases WHF urged Member States to adopt bold global targets, building on its key messages from the UN Multistakeholder Hearing on NCDs: Treat 500 million more people with hypertension by 2030 Aim for 50% global hypertension control by 2030 Implement fiscal policies with at least 50% excise tax on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages Adopt the WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2021) Reduce premature NCD-related deaths and disabilities by 50% globally by 2050 Agenda Item 13.1 – Universal Health Coverage WHF and NCD Alliance highlighted the urgent need to integrate NCDs, especially circulatory health services, into Universal Health Coverage benefit packages. We called on Member States to invest in comprehensive essential services – from prevention and screening to treatment and long-term care – and to scale up implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective, interventions, such as the WHO NCD Best Buys and HEARTS technical package. Agenda Item 13.5 – Substandard and Falsified Medical Products WHF echoed growing concern over substandard and falsified medical products, as a global threat to health, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We supported stronger engagement with non-State actors to effectively address the challenge. Agenda Item 13.9 – Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health WHF welcomed the new WHO Guidelines on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease and stressed a need for RF & RHD integration into primary health care, universal health coverage, and maternal health strategies to reduce cardiovascular-related maternal mortality, especially in low-resource settings. Agenda Item 17.1 – WHO’s Work in Health Emergencies WHF highlighted an urgent need to prioritize the needs of people living with noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, in health emergencies and to elevate NCDs within the global health security agenda. We advocated for stronger, more resilient, health systems to ensure continuous and equitable NCD care as well as for the integration of NCD services into preparedness, response, and recovery plans. WHF also supported the adoption of a resolution on Strengthening the Evidence-Base for Public Health and Social Measure. Notably, WHF led an informal WHO session on PHSM research in April. Agenda Item 18.1 – The Impact of Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution on Human Health WHF highlighted the impact of air and lead pollution on cardiovascular health and supported policies to strengthen monitoring, regulatory enforcement, and public awareness. Agenda Item 18.3 – Climate Change and Health WHF urged Member States to recognize the disproportionate impact of air pollution and climate change on people living with NCDs, particularly cardiovascular disease. Key recommendations included phasing down fossil fuels, prioritizing vulnerable populations, and safeguarding public health policy from commercial determinants of health, especially industry interference. WHA Resolutions WHF also expressed strong support for a series of WHA78-adopted resolutions on Strengthening National Capacities, Rare Diseases, Medical imaging, and Strengthening the Evidence-Base for Public Health and Social Measures – which will shape the future of global health. Pandemic Agreement The Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly formally adopted a historic WHO Pandemic Agreement, laying the foundation for a stronger and more equitable global approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Key features of the Agreement include commitments to equity and solidarity, a One Health approach – integrating human, animal, and environmental health – and the establishment of a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. Once the PABS annex – currently under negotiation – is finalized and adopted at the Seventy-Ninth World Health Assembly, the Agreement will open for signature and subsequently enter into force upon ratification by at least 60 Member States. WHF welcomes the important milestone and will continue to advocate for the integration of cardiovascular care and other essential NCD services into health emergency frameworks. WHF Side Events In parallel to formal proceedings, WHF hosted four high-level side events, convening Ministries of Health representatives, global experts, policymakers, and partners to explore concrete solution to the global cardiovascular disease burden: Advancing Cardiovascular Health for All through National Action Plans, which highlighted country-led strategies to address heart disease through comprehensive national plans. Protecting One Billion Hearts: Partnering to Accelerate Access to Heart-Saving Medicines, which focused on improving equitable access to essential cardiovascular medicines. Better Adherence, Better Control, Better Health, which highlighted the importance of supporting people living with cardiovascular disease to improve adherence and health outcomes. Healthy Hearts for Healthy Aging: Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Across the Life Course, which explored opportunities for cardiovascular prevention and management at every stage of life. Looking Ahead As the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs approaches, WHF remains committed to ensuring that cardiovascular health is prioritized across all dimensions of health and sustainable development. We will continue to engage with WHO, Member States, and our membership to advance progress towards ambitious targets and policy framework that place heart health at the core of resilient and equitable health systems.
No More Smoke and Mirrors
Exposing Industry Tactics to Protect Heart Health The World Heart Federation is proud to celebrate World No Tobacco Day with the global cardiovascular and tobacco control communities, under the theme Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products. Tobacco remains a major – yet entirely preventable – risk factor for cardiovascular disease, responsible for approximately 15% of all cardiovascular-related deaths in 2021. WHF believes that everyone, everywhere – from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood – has a right to be protected from the catastrophic health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of tobacco. Building on its 2024 campaign, Protecting Hearts, Safeguarding Futures, WHF continues to shed light on the tobacco industry’s manipulative strategies to promote its products, prioritizing profits over people’s lives. The industry’s tactics are layered and insidious – including greenwashing, sportswashing, and the use of influencer campaigns, among others, that glamorize tobacco and nicotine use, especially targeting youth. The proliferation of flavouring agents is particularly concerning – with over 15’000 flavours catalogued to entice first-time users and foster early addiction. Equally alarming is the packaging of newer tobacco and nicotine products, deliberately designed to mimic toys, candies, or snacks. Bright colours, cartoon imagery, and playful shapes are intentionally used to attract the attention of children and adolescents. The industry has aggressively targeted young people for decades, with misleading claims and misinformation to perpetuate nicotine addiction, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where regulations on advertising, promotion, sponsorship, and packaging are often more lenient or not strictly enforced. These strategies are calculated efforts to secure the next generation of users, as research consistently shows that youth exposed to such schemes are significantly more prone to use tobacco and nicotine products. The rise of newer recreational tobacco and nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, adds additional layers of complexity and urgency. These products are often falsely promoted as safer alternatives, supported by misleading marketing and biased industry-funded research. As a result, many are led to believe that these products are harmless. The World Heart Federation policy brief E-Cigarettes: A New Threat to Cardiovascular Health outlines the potential dangers of e-cigarettes, which can deliver nicotine doses equal to or even greater than conventional cigarettes. Our complementary policy brief Nicotine and Cardiovascular Health: When Poison Is Addictive highlights the harmful effects of nicotine itself, particularly for pregnant women, adolescents, and children. The truth is clear: newer tobacco and nicotine products are designed to initiate and sustain nicotine addiction – not to serve as legitimate harm-reduction tools. Youth remain a critical target to ensure long-term industry profits. To protect current and future generations, the World Heart Federation urges governments and policymakers to: Ban flavouring agents in all tobacco and nicotine products; Fully implement Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to safeguard health policies from industry interference; Apply Article 6 of the WHO FCTC to increase taxes and reduce affordability of tobacco and nicotine products; Enforce Article 8 of the WHO FCTC to establish smoke- and emission-free environments, including from newer tobacco and nicotine products; and Uphold Article 13 of the WHO FCTC to eliminate all forms of advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. The tobacco industry has a long history of systematic and deliberate interference in health and regulatory sciences. Through biased and deceptive industry-funded research, it has sought to sow unnecessary and harmful confusion and controversy among the public, scientists, and policymakers. WHF has adopted a strict conflict of interest policy to exclude tobacco industry representatives from all its events and congresses. WHF urges its Members and all health professional organizations to implement conflict of interest policies to uphold the integrity of science and protect health policies from tobacco industry interference.
COVID-19 & CVD
COVID-19 & CVD The novel coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei province, China in December 2019 and since then rapidly spread across the world. On 11 March, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As a global organization representing the cardiovascular community, WHF is committed to offering the latest evidence of the outbreak and ensuring everyone is aware of the necessary measures to protect themselves and others in order to slow the spread of the disease. Learn more about the WHF Global Study on CVD and COVID-19. Signs & symptoms Symptoms of the infection may appear 2-14 days after exposure and include: Sore throat Cough Fever If you develop emergency warning signs, get medical attention immediately. Warning signs may include: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face Research suggests that some individuals are more vulnerable to the worst outcomes of the virus: Older adults People who have serious chronic medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease General recommendations Maintain at least 1-metre distance between yourself and anyone who is sick. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs. Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Recommendations for vulnerable populations People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus. However, the virus poses a particular risk to people over the age of 60 and those with underlying medical conditions, including: Cardiovascular disease Hypertension Diabetes Chronic respiratory disease Cancer To avoid infection, we recommend you to: Continue to take your medication and follow medical advice Secure a one month supply of your medication or longer if possible Keep a distance of at least one metre from people with a cough, cold or flu Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds Stay at home if possible Follow the instructions of the Department of Health and local authorities in your country Remain aware of your health state. If you experience severe symptoms (shortness of breath, fever), call your doctor or a hospital immediately. Explain to them that you are calling in relation to the new coronavirus and that you are at high risk. Look after your mental health and well-being too. If you need to stay home for a prolonged period, try maintaining a daily routine that prioritizes taking care of yourself. Considering the greater risk for populations in impoverished settings, WHF has developed a series of guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control in low-income countries. Recommendations for healthcare professionals A study published in The Lancet on 14 March 2020 reviewed the psychological effects of quarantines during disease outbreaks. The report takes information from another study published in 2004 during the SARS outbreak, which revealed that quarantined hospital staff was more likely to report exhaustion and irritability, anxiety and depression. To protect the mental health of these professionals, China’s National Health Commission released guidelines for psychological care during the pandemic and WHO shared several mental health tips for healthcare practitioners, which includes: Ensure rest during work or between shifts, eat sufficient and healthy food and engage in physical activity. Avoid using unhelpful coping mechanisms such as tobacco or alcohol. Some workers may experience avoidance by their family or community due to stigma or fear. If possible, stay connected with your loved ones. Turn to your colleagues and your manager for social support. Team leaders should provide good quality communication and accurate information updates to all staff. Ensure you initiate, encourage and monitor work breaks. Vaccination against COVID-19 WHF regards the vaccine as a critical tool in our fight to ward off the disease and focus on managing and preventing the heart conditions that further complicate the lives of those with COVID-19. In supporting the global effort to address the pandemic, WHF reiterates that successful vaccine roll-out must include those most vulnerable, either because of health risks, on-the-job exposure, or socioeconomic status, a particular concern in low and middle-income countries.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol High cholesterol causes 3.6 million deaths every year. It is a major a risk factor for heart disease and stroke in both high- and low-income countries. A healthy diet, regular exercise and medication can help reduce high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. The liver either makes cholesterol or uses cholesterol obtained from other sources: dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, cholesterol carried in the blood, or by reabsorbing bile from the gastrointestinal tract. Cholesterol is crucial to the healthy functioning of the body, which needs it to build healthy cells and make vitamins and other hormones. But too much cholesterol can lead to serious problems, including heart disease and stroke. High blood cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. HDL (Good), LDL (Bad) Cholesterol and Triglycerides Cholesterol is carried through your blood attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. There are different types of cholesterol, based on what the lipoprotein carries: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL): LDL is sometimes called bad cholesterol because it can build up inside our arteries, causing them to harden and narrow (a process called atherosclerosis) and limiting blood flow. This can ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. HDL is often referred to as “good” cholesterol, because it carries unnecessary cholesterol away from our arteries and back to our liver, where it’s broken down and eliminated from the body. A healthy level of HDL cholesterol can protect against heart attack and stroke. A third component, known as triglycerides, also plays a role in our cholesterol health. They are the most common type of fat in our bodies, and they store excess energy, or fat, from our diet. Being overweight, eating a lot of fatty and sugary foods or drinking too much alcohol may lead to raised blood triglyceride levels. Triglyceride levels may be high despite relatively normal levels of good cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol. A high triglyceride level, combined with low HDL and high LDL, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. What is dyslipidaemia? Dyslipidaemia is an all-encompassing term which refers to the presence of non-optimal levels of blood lipids. In clinical practice guidelines, it is typically characterized by raised total cholesterol and/or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The definition is also often extended to include nonoptimal levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A1. Familial Hypercholesterolemia Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol and affects approximately 34 million people worldwide, or one in 200-250 people. If left untreated, FH leads to early heart attacks and heart disease. Individuals with FH have a high amount of LDL cholesterol or ‘bad cholesterol’ due to a mutation in one of several genes that control how the liver uses cholesterol. As a result, cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream and can ultimately build up in the arteries’ walls. Patients may develop fatty skin deposits, known as xanthomas, on their body or cholesterol deposits may also be visible on the eyelids, a condition called xanthelasmas. FH is inherited. The number of mutations that are inherited determine the type of FH an individual has. One inherited mutation – called Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) – means that one abnormal mutation is passed down to a child, typically from one parent. Two inherited mutations – called Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) – happen when a mutation for HeFH is passed on from each parent to their child. This results in the more rare and severe form of FH. Hypercholersterolemia and Familial Hypercholesterolemia are largely silent diseases; they cause no symptoms. As a result, they too often remain unnoticed. When diagnosed, treatment is not systematic, and patients have poorly controlled cholesterol levels. FH remains mostly underdiagnosed and undertreated due to low awareness, both among the public and among health professionals – only 10% of those affected know about their condition and are adequately treated. Lipoprotein(a) Lipoprotein(a), often abbreviated as Lp(a), is a type of lipoprotein, composed of proteins and fats, found in the blood. Like LDL (low-density lipoprotein), often referred to as “bad cholesterol”, Lp(a) contains cholesterol within its structure. Lp(a) can increase the risk of heart disease when present in elevated levels. High levels of Lp(a) are inherited and affect 1 in 5 people. Risk factors High cholesterol can be inherited, but it’s often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as inactivity, smoking and an unhealthy diet. Metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes can also influence an individual’s cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Behavioural risk factors Unhealthy diet: A diet high in saturated fat (found, for example, in animal products) and trans fats (found in various industrially processed foods) can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. Excess sugar and starch intake contributes to high triglycerides. Physical inactivity: Being physically inactive can have a detrimental effect on non-HDL cholesterol levels. regular physical activity as been shown to have a beneficial impact by reducing non-HDL cholesterol concentrations. Smoking: Cigarette smoking damages the walls of the blood vessels, making them more likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers. Conversely, smoking cessation typically leads to an increase in HDL cholesterol levels. Associated conditions Obesity: The typical dyslipidaemia of obesity consists of increased triglycerides, decreased HDL cholesterol with HDL dysfunction, and normal or slightly increased non-HDL cholesterol. Diabetes: High blood sugar reflects in part greater insulin insensitivity which contributes to higher levels of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) production by the liver and in turn lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugars from Diabetes may also directly damage the lining of the blood vessels. Non-modifiable risk factors Heredity: The quantity of cholesterol produced by the body is partly genetically determined. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) leads to high cholesterol and, if untreated, to early heart attacks and heart disease. Each child of an individual with FH has a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder. There are many genes that impact cholesterol levels by small increments; having a lot of these genes that raise
Chagas Disease
Chagas Disease Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a neglected tropical disease caused by a group of parasites called Trypanosoma cruzi. First discovered more than 100 years ago, the disease continues to affect more than seven million people worldwide and is one of the most prevalent public health problems in Latin America. If left untreated, Chagas can cause irreversible damage to the heart and other vital organs. About Chagas Disease Chagas disease is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 continental Latin American countries. The most common way people are infected with Chagas is through the blood-sucking triatomine bugs, also known as ‘kissing bugs’ (or vinchuca, barbeiro, pito, chinche, chipo in different Latin American countries). The bugs typically live in wall or roof cracks of poorly constructed homes made of materials such as mud, straw and palm thatch. They come out at night to feed on people’s blood while they’re sleeping, then defecate close to the bite. Their faeces contain the parasite, which can then enter the person’s body when they inadvertently smear the bug’s waste into the bite or another skin break, the eyes or the mouth. The parasite can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth, through contaminated food and beverages, blood transfusions, organ transplants or laboratory accidents. Once entirely confined to the continental part of Latin America, in the last decades Chagas has been increasingly detected in the United States of America, Canada, many countries in Europe and some countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Western Pacific. The epidemiological pattern of Chagas has also changed from a rural to a mostly urban disease, mainly due to population mobility, urbanization and emigration. Around 12,000 people die every year due to complications from Chagas disease, with only 1 in 10 being diagnosed. Of these, only a small percentage receive treatment. With an estimated 75 million individuals at risk of infection, Chagas remains a profound public health issue with significant social and economic burdens in Latin America and beyond. Chagas Disease Signs & Symptoms There are two main stages of the disease: an acute phase and a chronic phase. In the acute phase, which lasts about two months, symptoms generally start to develop about one to two weeks following the bite. These are generally mild and unspecific, and may include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and vomiting. In people bitten by a triatomine bug, characteristic first visible signs of infection, such as a skin lesion or a purplish swelling of the lids of one eye (the so-called Romaña sign), can help in the diagnosis of new cases. In the chronic phase, about 70-80% of people may not show any symptoms at all. However, in about 20-30% of people, the disease progresses, mainly affecting the heart or gastro-intestinal organs. This occurs 10 to 20 years after the initial infection. In the heart, the disease can cause enlargement of the heart muscle, leading to heart failure. Other common problems are arrythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. In the gastro-intestinal system, there can be enlargement of the colon or the oesophagus, leading to digestive problems. Chagas Disease Treatment Treatment is urgently indicated for anyone during the acute phase and for those in whom the infection has been reactivated. In these situations, treatment is almost 100% effective, and the disease can be completely cured. During the acute phase, Chagas disease can be treated with two antiparasitic medicines: benznidazole* and nifurtimox*. Both medicines are nearly 100% effective in curing the disease if given soon after infection, including the cases of congenital transmission. The efficacy of both diminishes, however, the longer a person has been infected, and the risk of adverse reactions increases with age. Once Chagas disease reaches the chronic phase, medications won’t cure the disease, but they may help slow the progression of the disease and its most serious complications. Adults, especially those with the indeterminate form of the disease, should be offered treatment, but its potential benefits in preventing or delaying the development of Chagas disease should be weighed against the long duration and frequent adverse events. During the late chronic phase, when cardiac or digestive manifestations may occur, additional lifelong medical treatment and surgery are usually indicated. *Benznidazole and nifurtimox should not be taken by pregnant women or by people with kidney or liver failure. Nifurtimox is also contraindicated for people with a background of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Chagas Disease Prevention & Control In areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America, where the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is present in triatomine bugs, improved housing and spraying insecticide inside housing to eliminate the bugs has significantly decreased the spread of Chagas disease. Screening of blood donations for Chagas is another important public health tool to help prevent spreading the disease through blood transfusions. Early detection and treatment of new cases, including mother-to-baby (congenital) cases, will also help reduce the burden of disease. In other regions where Chagas disease is now found but is not widespread, control strategies should focus on preventing transmission from blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and mother to child.