Long-Standing International Cooperation in Parasitology Research: A Summary of 35 Years of Activities in the Bolivian Chaco

Abstract

The Bolivian Chaco is a semiarid region with a low population density, situated in the southeast part of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Here, despite the improvements of the last 15 years, poverty remains high in rural areas, where social vulnerability is widespread. The Guaraní ethnic group often lives in isolated communities with a low standard of hygiene and sanitation. This epidemiological scenario favors the spread of transmissible diseases, including several parasitic infections belonging to the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) group. In this area, a long-standing research activity, built upon the synergism between local and foreign institutions, has been established since the late 1980s and helps to fill in the knowledge gap about the epidemiology dynamics of soil-transmitted helminths, vector-borne parasites, and other parasitic diseases. A 35-year history of cooperation programs in parasitology research has contributed to informing local health authorities of the NTD burden in the Bolivian Chaco and, ultimately, supports local healthcare providers in the management of parasitic diseases.

Keywords: Bolivia; NTDs; epidemiology; parasitology; soil-transmitted helminths.

Figure 1

The area of the Bolivian Chaco lies in the southeast of the country and includes 3 departments (numbers on the map: Santa Cruz = 1; Chuquisaca = 2; Tarija = 3) and 5 Provinces (letters on the map: Cordillera = A; Hernando Siles = B; Luis Calvo = C; Gran Chaco = D; O’Connor = E).

Figure 2

Soil-transmitted helminths trend during 1987–2017 in the Bolivian Chaco. A Hymenolepis nana trend was also shown as an example of the feco–oral-transmitted parasite. The study population constituted a general population in 1987 (n = 381) [5] and 2013 (n = 223) [9], pre-school- and school-aged children (SAC) in 1990 (n = 179) [10] and 2011 (n = 268) [7], and only SAC in 2016 (n = 426) and 2017 (n = 520) [10]. In 1987 and 2011, the surveyed areas included both rural and urban areas, while other surveys were limited to rural areas.