From 2-4 March 2026, ICARS participated in Africa’s first summit dedicated to fungal diseases, hosted by Africa CDC and the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI). The summit convened policymakers, clinicians, researchers, funders, and partners to address the growing burden of fungal diseases and identify priorities for improving diagnostics, surveillance, treatment access, and research capacity across the continent.
About fungal diseases in Africa
Africa bears a significant burden of fungal diseases, particularly among people living with HIV and those affected by tuberculosis, cancer, or other immunocompromising conditions. However, fungal diseases remain underdiagnosed, underreported, and underfunded, with critical gaps in laboratory capacity and access to diagnostic tools.
Fungal diseases and antimicrobial resistance
Antifungal resistance is an important component of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Fungal pathogens are increasingly becoming resistant to commonly used antifungal drugs, driven by factors similar to those seen in bacterial AMR, including inappropriate use of antifungals, limited diagnostics capacity, and weak surveillance systems.
Compounding this challenge, there are far fewer antifungal drugs available compared to antibiotics, leaving patients with limited treatment options. As a result, fungal infections are becoming harder to treat and are contributing significantly to the global AMR burden.
Research on AMR, including studies supported by ICARS, provides important opportunities to address antifungal resistance, as many of the tools, strategies, and interventions apply across all microbes, including fungi. This includes lessons from antimicrobial stewardship, where proven approaches such as diagnostics driven therapy, surveillance systems, guideline adherence, and supply chain management can be adapted to support antifungal stewardship.
At the summit
Over three days, participants engaged in sessions covering strategic priorities for fungal diseases in Africa, innovation, research capacity, stewardship, partnerships, and financing.
ICARS presented its experience in supporting antimicrobial stewardship programmes across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), highlighting the importance of integrating stewardship into fungal disease control efforts, ICARS also emphasised the role of implementation research in generating context-specific evidence, alongside strengthening diagnostics, embedding infection prevention and control strategies, and promoting rational prescribing practices.
Next steps
Following the summit, ICARS will explore potential opportunities to support implementation research on antifungal stewardship in LMICs. This includes identifying priority areas for engagement and assessing how fungal disease components can be strategically integrated into ongoing and future AMR projects.
Find out more about the summit- https://africacdc.org/news-item/landmark-summit-elevates-fungal-diseases-to-a-public-health-priority-in-africa/
