Deadly Insects Attack Victims At Night, Killing Them Quietly And Needs To Be taken Seriously Now

As a young child Emiliana Rodríguez recalls watching friends play a nighttime game of soccer, where one of the players suddenly dropped dead on the field. Not knowing what had happened, the Bolivian-born Rodríguez grew fearful of the night, afraid of the silent killer called Chagas, the “monster” she was told only comes out at night.

What should I do if I find a triatomine bug? Meanwhile, Rodríguez is in Spain, fighting the "monster," by bringing awareness to Chagas through a campaign by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. "I'm fed up with so much silence," Rodríguez says. "I want people to talk about Chagas, and to know about it. I want people to get tested and to get treatment." And, they are being heard. The WHO established World Chagas Disease Day, which runs every year on April 14, the day in 1909 when Carlos discovered the first human case. WHO writes that "Global targets for 2030 and milestones are set out to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate a diverse set of 20 diseases and disease groups." This includes Chagas.