Country Ambassadors

Fernando Oscar Riera

Fernando Oscar Riera MD, Infectious Diseases. National University of Cordoba, Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba Hospital. Coordinator of Fungal Infection Committee of Pan American Association of Infectology
Email: On request
View the Fungal burden of disease in Argentina: Riera Burden of fungal diseases in Argentina J Fungi 2018
NOTE: As preparation of the Global Fungal Infection Forum 4 on health systems and fungal diseases held in September 2019, the burdens of serious fungal infections were estimated for all Latin American countries English Spanish
Personal comment on the major needs in Argentina which GAFFI should be addressing: Argentina’s greatest needs are to improve the diagnosis of fungal infections, improve the diagnosis and stimulate the reporting of endemic mycoses (Coccidioidomycosis, Paracoccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis and mycetoma), and achieve access to 5FC and lower costs of generic antifungal medication.
Links to key fungal/global health institutions in Argentina:

Guillermo Garcia-Effron

Guillermo Garcia-Effron, Investigador independiente del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET)

Profesor Asociado de Micología y Director del laboratorio de Micología y Diagnóstico Molecular – Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológias – Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Santa Fe city (Santa Fe) Argentina.

In English: Independent researcher of the Argentinian National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET)

Associate Professor of Mycology and Director of the Laboratory of Mycology and Molecular Diagnosis – School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences – National University of the Littoral. Santa Fe city (Santa Fe) Argentina.
Email: On request.
How have you helped GAFFI so far: I drafted the application to add echinocandins (micafungin, caspofungin and anidulafungin) to the World Health Organisation Essential Medicine List for treatment of fungal diseases (2020).
Personal comment on the major needs in Argentina which GAFFI should be addressing:

The main needs in Argentina are:

No availability of fluytosine to treat cryptococcosis.

The existing gap between the cities of Buenos Aires, Rosario and Cordoba and other cities in the country regarding diagnostic capacity and access to antifungals. For example, every time a drug other than fluconazole or amphotericin deoxycholate is required, it must be requested from the company located in Buenos Aires, requiring 72 hours or more to be available in certain parts of the country. These difficulties are seen even in urban centers where transplants are routinely performed and oncohematological patients are treated.

Many may think that these deficits are due to economic problems (medicines and methods that are very expensive for the economic reality of Argentina), but this same reasoning would apply to the large cities named where diagnostic methods and drugs are available.

In my opinion, many of these drawbacks are due to a deficit in the training of health professionals in regions far from these 3 urban centers and to failures in the distribution systems of pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. Most of the congresses and training activities are concentrated in these cities and the companies only support activities in the same urban centers, producing a gap between different areas of the country that increases over time, reinforcing itself.
Links to key fungal/global health institutions in Argentina:
Malbran Institute (Mycology Department) (http://www.anlis.gov.ar/inei/micologia/

Argeninian Ministry of Health (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/salud)

Panamerican Health Organization (https://www.paho.org/arg/).

World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/countries/arg/).

PAHO and WHO share the same representative and office in Argentina: Dr Maureen Birmingham (Marcelo T. de Alvear 684 – 4° Piso C1058AAH – Buenos Aires, Argentina)

National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology – ANMAT

(Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica) Argentine equivalent of the FDA. (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/anmat)