Country Ambassadors

JAHIT SACARLAL, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, and Principal Researcher, Microbiology Department, Maputo, Mozambique. Professor and Specialist in Public Health.
Email: On request
View the Fungal burden of disease in Mozambique: Published Sacarlal 2018.
How you have helped GAFFI: I intend to promote GAFFI in my country through our National Society, social networks and media. In 2015 we initiated a study documenting the frequency of Pneumocystis pneumonia and infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, Histoplasma capsulatum combined with genetic characterization by multiplex PCR in HIV infected patients in the Central Hospital of Maputo (MCH). We also completed in 2015 a study of tinea capitis in 2 primary school in Maputo City. In August 2016, we will establish a laboratory surveillance system for mycology in MCH for the main fungal diseases. We hope that all these studies will allow us to better understand the burden of fungal diseases in Mozambique over the next two years.
Personal comment on the major needs in Mozambique which GAFFI should be addressing: In Mozambique, there are no epidemiological studies on fungal diseases at the country level. Very few studies on specific fungal disease have been done. Major needs in mycology in Mozambique include a trained human resources with clinical expertise in the management of fungal infections, strong technical competencies among microbiology laboratory staff, consistent provision of supplies (consumables and reagents), acquisition of basic equipment and equipment maintenance programs, introduction of laboratory information systems and better laboratory infrastructure, layout and biosafety. The implementation of the Quality Management System and internal quality control must be specially reinforced in microbiology laboratories, given their complexity. There are no national guidelines on diagnostic and management of fungal infections. Also we need access to more funds for research and development.
Links to key fungal/global health institutions in Mozambique: Faculty of Medicine; Department of Microbiology: website in production (coming soon)