Country Ambassadors
Martha F. Mushi, Senior Lecturer, Microbiology/Immunology Department, CUHAS-Bugando, Mwanza
Email: On request
How you have helped GAFFI so far: I have worked with GAFFI in raising awareness on fungi infections like aspergillosis and antifungal resistance risk. I am dedicated in ensuring improved care for patients with fungi infections. Furthermore as academician in higher learning institution I motivate the younger generation on the importance of fungi infection and their diagnosis.
The estimated burden of fungal infections in Tanzania has been published.
Personal comment on the major needs in Tanzania which GAFFI should be addressing: Tanzania, as one of the countries in resource-limited settings still need the following in order to improve patients’ care:
- Build capacity for research on fungi infections to understand the local epidemiology data
- Introduce several short course training among clinicians/physicians to stimulate their thinking and increase their suspicious index to fungi infection whenever needed
- Increase the number of trained laboratory scientists to be able to diagnose fungi infection when requested and clinically appropriate
- Improve diagnostic facilities for fungi diseases
- Short on the job training for lab scientists in improvising the simple available facilities to diagnose fungi infections
Links to key fungal/global health institutions in Tanzania: http://www.bugando.ac.tz/