About

The National Malaria Eradication Service - SENEPA - is an entity created by Law No. 458 of September 12, 1957, as a Technical Body of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare - MSPBS, with the primary objective of carrying out the Plan of Eradication of Malaria or Malaria in the country, which at that time affected 90% of the national territory with the exception of the capital of the country.

Given the worldwide epidemiological situation and in the Region of the Americas, it was necessary to introduce surveillance and control of other vector-borne diseases, some even with a greater social burden and epidemic potential than Malaria. Therefore, by Resolution SG No. 120 of November 30, 1977, other programs of vector-borne diseases are introduced under the responsibility of SENEPA: Chagas, Dengue, Leishmaniasis, Yellow Fever and Schistosomiasis.

According to the new organization, there is a General Directorate, two Directorates: one Technical and one Administrative, 12 Departments both technical and administrative and more than 40 Sections.

At the Central Level, located in the City of Asunción, there is the National Reference Laboratory for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria, on which 18 Zonal Diagnostic Units, distributed throughout the country, are able to take samples of suspected cases of Malaria and offers a timely diagnosis and a radical, effective and free treatment if it is positive.