More than half of Neglected Tropical Diseases present with skin problems, and this includes 3 that are fungal – Mycetoma, Chromoblastomycosis and Sporotrichosis. On June 8th the World Health Organization launched its strategic framework for the integrated approach to these. The strategic framework is designed to assist endemic countries in reducing the morbidity, disability and… Read more »
Posts By: Graham Atherton
Global fungal health advocacy organisation launches Cryptococcal Meningitis care dashboard for Africa
Today, Global Action For Fungal Infections (GAFFI) released a visual dashboard showing the capacity for high-quality care for cryptococcal meningitis in each country in Africa. Assembled following a continent-wide survey of diagnostic practice, the dashboard shows which countries can rapidly diagnose this life-threatening infection, and which cannot, or can do so only partially. The dashboard… Read more »
GAFFI’s Annual Report highlights enormous progress in awareness and diagnostic tools for Fungal Disease – major gaps remain
There is no denying that it has been another tumultuous year in terms of global infectious diseases, particularly in India, which saw the world’s first major outbreak of mucormycosis affecting over 40,000 people (with COVID-19 and usually diabetes), and is the epicentre of the resistance outbreak caused by the new skin fungus Trichophyton indotineae. Despite… Read more »
Dr Tom Chiller of the CDC joins GAFFI as a Senior Advisor
While leading the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Mycotic Disease Branch, Dr Chiller has been very active in promoting rapid screening for cryptococcal meningitis and disseminated histoplasmosis in people with Advanced HIV Disease. He and his colleagues at CDC have collated US and global data on the multi-resistant fungus Candida auris and… Read more »
Single large dose of liposomal amphotericin B for cryptococcal meningitis effective
The world’s largest randomised study of HIV-positive adults with cryptococcal meningitis published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that a single high-dose infusion of liposomal amphotericin B (10mg/Kg) was non-inferior to one week of conventional amphotericin B, plus oral therapy with flucytosine and fluconazole for 2 weeks in both arms. Professor Joe… Read more »
Fatal Fungal Lung infection affects TB recovered patients due to misdiagnosis; experts call for steps to be taken
The Global Action For Fungal Infections (GAFFI) is calling for improved diagnostic capability for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) – especially Aspergillus antibody detection, as well as antifungal therapy. The call is in response to published studies in India and Vietnam that found over the last 12 months1,2 over 50% of patients cured of TB but… Read more »
GAFFI’s David Denning featured in The Conversation, raising awareness of fungal disease and its impact on Aids-related deaths around the world
GAFFI’s Chief Executive, Professor David Denning, recently authored an article in the research and analysis publication, The Conversation focusing on the devastating effect fungal disease has on those with Aids. See the article here Professor David Denning said: “As more and more people are treated for HIV infection, deaths will continue to come… Read more »
Diagnosis of aspergillosis now routine with good performance – if tests are requested
On World Aspergillosis Day, GAFFI highlights the significant strides forward in the diagnosis of all forms of aspergillosis over the last few years. Major advances include: Introduction of lateral flow assays for Aspergillus antigen Introduction of lateral flow assay for Aspergillus antibody Determination of cut-offs for Aspergillus antibody for multiple tests and countries The increased… Read more »
Should African histoplasmosis be included as a skin Neglected Tropical Disease? Fungal experts think so.
January 30th is Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day. This is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness of these often-overlooked conditions. World NTD Day serves as a call to action to secure increased resources for neglected tropical diseases, and crucially facilitate political leadership and ownership of NTD programs from affected countries. The 2021 Neglected Tropic… Read more »
Histoplasmosis in PLHIV – the more you look, the more you find in endemic areas
Exposure to Histoplasma in the air is common in Guatemala (as in many other countries). In ASI ‘s* diagnostic program in collaboration with GAFFI, more and more patients tested positive for disseminated histoplasmosis as more samples were sent. Narda Medina and colleagues report that in 2017, 1836 people with HIV infection were screened and 120 (6.5%)… Read more »
