Abstract
Fungal infections have emerged as major threat to human beings. The world is not ready to face this formidable challenge due to limited awareness, insufficient laboratories, and difficulty in managing mycoses especially in developing countries. The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) has undertaken several new initiatives to overcome these gaps, including a global outreach program with national affiliated mycology societies and other regional groups. ISHAM is working closely with the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) and Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) to enhance these efforts. The society has launched laboratory e-courses and is in the process of the development of clinical e-courses. ISHAM has partnered with regional conferences in South America and Asia by sponsoring international experts and young delegates. The society also supports young people from less developed countries to undergo training in laboratories of excellence. ISHAM facilitated the formation of the INFOCUS-Latin American Clinical Mycology Working Group (LATAM) and the Pan-African Mycology Working Group. The society appointed country ambassadors to facilitate coordination with national societies. Still, the task is enormous and ISHAM calls for strong advocacy and more coordinated activities to attract the attention of people from all disciplines to this neglected field.
Highlights
Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Department I of Internal Medicine, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
A recent survey in seven Asian countries reported a lack of formal training in medical mycology in 37% of clinicians; each clinician handles only 2–4 invasive fungal infections a month due to lack of suspicion and the absence of diagnostic mycology facilities; 80% of patients could not afford appropriate antifungal drugs
The course will follow the concept of 12 clinical mycological cases discussing epidemiology, diagnosis, and management; Partnering with regional conferences: International conferences for International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) are held with a gap of three years and large numbers of young scientists/doctors fail to attend the 3-yearly ISHAM
Summary
A recent survey in seven Asian countries reported a lack of formal training in medical mycology in 37% of clinicians; each clinician handles only 2–4 invasive fungal infections a month due to lack of suspicion and the absence of diagnostic mycology facilities; 80% of patients could not afford appropriate antifungal drugs. Aggravating the problem, antifungal drugs are health challenge listings, though fungal keratitis, resistant dermatophyte beyond the reachinofpublic the majority of the population in developing countries, either due to cost of infections, sporotrichosis, Candida vaginitis, etc., are major public health problems affecting the drugs or non-availability in certain countries.
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