In May 2019, the 72nd World Health Assembly designated April 14 as World Chagas Disease Day, first observed in April 2020. The date commemorates Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas's diagnosis of the first known case of the disease in 1909, in a child named Berenice. Chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection typically transmitted through the bite of the "kissing bug," and it is listed among WHO's neglected tropical diseases. It affects millions of people, particularly in Latin America, though it has also spread to other regions through migration. The disease often goes undiagnosed for years because early symptoms can be mild or absent, while untreated infection can lead to serious heart and digestive complications later in life. The day aims to raise awareness of prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment, and to build support for placing the disease among public health priorities, especially in endemic regions. Health ministries and medical organizations mark it with free screening events and awareness campaigns in the communities most at risk.