Chagas programme receives further funding to improve access and health outcomes for Southwark’s Latin American community
Following a successful pilot, Southwark’s community-led Chagas screening programme is set to continue until February 2026, with ambitions to expand beyond that date. The year-long pilot, which ran from October 2024, has been extended, thanks to additional funding from Southwark Council’s public health department.
As the first initiative of its kind in London, the project, delivered by Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO), offers community led screening for a life-threatening disease affecting Latin American communities.
One third of people infected with the Chagas parasite go on to develop heart or gut disease, usually decades after initial infection. Chagas is often described as a silent killer due to its tendency to cause advanced heart disease before symptoms appear. It affects seven million people worldwide and causes 12,000 deaths annually.
The disease is caused by a parasite and spread by triatomine insects in rural areas of Latin America, but can be contracted through congenital transmission, organ transplants, or blood transfusions. But with early treatment, the disease can often be cured, especially in children and infants. Even in chronic cases, specialist-led care can help manage symptoms and reduce the risk of serious complications such as heart failure or stroke.
To date, over 130 individuals have been tested, with all positive cases successfully referred to specialist care. The programme has proven its value not only in identifying undiagnosed cases but also in building awareness and trust within the community.
Service users have praised the initiative for its accessibility and cultural sensitivity: “They speak Spanish there, you can ask anything… I felt good.”
Staff have highlighted the importance of the programme in building trust within the community, saying, “Visibility is so important – to say, look, we haven’t forgotten about you.”
Southwark’s Director of Public Health, Sangeeta Leahy, said, ‘It’s so important we understand and respond to the needs of our diverse populations in the borough. The partnership with IRMO has raised awareness of Chagas and brought people forward for screening who might not have known they were at risk or had the disease. With referral to specialists, we can improve outcomes for anyone who has tested positive and potentially save lives.’
Anyone born in Central America, South America or Mexico can get a one-off blood test for Chagas disease. Those interested in receiving a test can do so by contacting IRMO or by attending an IRMO event.
A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment led by the council in 2024 examined data from multiple sources and identified areas where the borough’s Latin American population experienced barriers to staying healthy and accessing appropriate health and care services. This important initiative is part of a wider approach within Partnership Southwark to tackle inequalities in health experienced by different sections of Southwark’s population, and to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for all communities in Southwark.