Strengthening the surveillance and diagnosis capacity of fungal diseases in Colombia.

Project: Research Project

Project Details

Description

Fungal diseases cause more than 1.5 million deaths worldwide; Despite these figures, in countries like Colombia they continue to be considered forgotten diseases, although the majority of deaths from fungal pathogens are preventable.

Most serious mycoses occur as a consequence of underlying conditions such as asthma, AIDS, cancer, transplants and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has highlighted the threat of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial and fungal infections associated with healthcare, which may have increased their burden, with a high number of infections characterized by higher levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). , not only in patients but also in health centers.

Accurate and timely diagnosis of fungal diseases can reduce both illness and death and improve the clinical course of people at risk, which in turn will improve the public health of the population. Colombia is divided into 33 territorial units known as departments.

Because the reporting of most mycoses is not currently mandatory (only cases of C. auris and mucormycosis associated with COVID-19 are notifiable diseases), the epidemiology and real impact of these diseases on the population Colombian is little known.

Although there are public health laboratories in the main regions of the country, they only monitor a small group of diseases and generate reports or channel the referral of samples or isolates to the National Institute of Health (INS).

The purpose of this project is to strengthen laboratory-based surveillance of fungal diseases in Colombia, increase the capacity for surveillance and diagnosis of mycoses, guide and train health professionals, improve the laboratory capacity of the INS as a Center National Reference, all these activities in collaboration with the Fungal Diseases Branch of the CDC and academic institutions in Colombia, such as the Universidad del Rosario and the University of Antioquia.
StatusActive
Effective start/end date9/30/219/29/26

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Main Funding Source

  • International

Location

  • Bogotá D.C.

Fingerprint

Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.