Improving awareness, diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in Ghana: establishment of the Ghana Medical Mycology Society

Bright K Ocansey; Edmund A Dadzie; Stephen K Eduful; Martin Agyei; Mary-Magdalene Osei; Peter Puplampu; Isabella Asamoah; Rita O Oladele; Iriagbonse I Osaigbovo; Jane S Afriyie-Mensah; Japheth A Opintan; Samuel Essien-Baidoo; Arunaloke Chakrabarti; Martin Hoenigl; David W Denning; Malcolm D Richardson

doi:10.1093/mmy/myac069

Improving awareness, diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in Ghana: establishment of the Ghana Medical Mycology Society

Med Mycol. 2022 Sep 29;60(9):myac069. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myac069.

Authors

Bright K Ocansey¹, Edmund A Dadzie², Stephen K Eduful³, Martin Agyei⁴, Mary-Magdalene Osei⁵, Peter Puplampu^{6

7}, Isabella Asamoah⁷, Rita O Oladele⁸, Iriagbonse I Osaigbovo⁹, Jane S Afriyie-Mensah^{6

7}, Japheth A Opintan⁵, Samuel Essien-Baidoo¹⁰, Arunaloke Chakrabarti¹¹, Martin Hoenigl^{12

13}, David W Denning¹, Malcolm D Richardson^{1

14}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK.
² Department of Health and Allied Sciences, Baldwin University College, Accra GA-082, Ghana.
³ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra GA-337, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi AK-448, Ghana.
⁵ Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra GA-270, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra GA-221, Ghana.
⁷ Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra GA-221, Ghana.
⁸ Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos 101017, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City 300213, Nigeria.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast CC-071, Ghana.
¹¹ Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
¹² Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Division of Pulmonology, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8036, Austria.
¹³ Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093-0021, USA.
¹⁴ Mycology Reference Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester M23 9LT, UK.

Abstract

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and medical mycology receive little attention in Ghana. However, the present evolution of biomarker assays for IFIs, offers an opportunity for an increased access to fungal laboratory testing in resource-limited settings, and probably make a case for availability of essential antifungal agents. Using surveys and personal communications, the state of medical mycology and IFI in Ghana were highlighted. Inadequate awareness and insufficient access to fungal diagnostics and therapeutics were identified as the key challenges, the establishment of the Ghana Medical Mycology Society was discussed, and recommendations were made to improve the status quo.

Keywords: Ghana; antifungal agents; diagnostics; invasive fungal infections; research.

Plain language summary

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) receive little attention in Ghana, despite its growing relevance globally. Using surveys and personal communications, the main challenges were identified, and the formation of the Ghana Medical Mycology Society was discussed as a tool to improve the status quo.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
Ghana
Invasive Fungal Infections* / diagnosis
Invasive Fungal Infections* / drug therapy
Invasive Fungal Infections* / microbiology
Invasive Fungal Infections* / veterinary
Mycology*
Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

Antifungal Agents