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Addressing the Importance of Building Diagnostic Capacity in East African Hospitals

Prof. David Denning GAFFI President

GAFFI’s programs, already initiated in Guatemala for AIDS, and in planning for Kenya and Uganda, will greatly enhance diagnostics in the hospital sector.”
— Professor David Denning
KAMPALA, UGANDA, March 23, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 3rd UK East Africa Health Improvement and Investment Summit is taking place on the 22 to the 23 of March in Kampala, Uganda.

Over 400 delegates from around the world heard Uganda Minister Sarah Opendi, British High Commissioner Sir Peter West and Lord Nigel Crisp, Chairman of the UK all-Party Committee on Global discuss healthcare quality improvement and launch the Nursing Now global initiative.

Amongst the 25 senior speakers, Professor David Denning, President of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) and Professor of Infectious Diseases in Global Health at the University of Manchester spoke on the opening day: “Capacity building in fungal disease diagnosis will contribute to reducing AIDS, TB and cancer deaths”.

Fungal infections still represent one of the most neglected areas in global health. Cryptococcal meningitis and Pneumocystis (PCP) pneumonia affect over 250,000 and 500,000 people worldwide, each causing 100,000’s of deaths annually. Histoplasmosis is a leading cause of AIDS-associated deaths in the Americas, with 80,000 deaths annually. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) affects >3 million people worldwide, most commonly complicating treated pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region by HIV, with an estimated 25.6 million people living with this persistent infection in 2015.

Facing these high numbers of fungal infection related deaths on a world-wide scale, it is essential to provide health professionals with adequate training in recognising fungal infections quickly and efficiently since an early diagnosis can be life saving for those affected.

Professor David Denning, President of GAFFI who spoke at the meeting declared: “In the past, too many health programs have been too focused on one disease to build sustainable capacity in East Africa. GAFFI’s programs, already initiated in Guatemala for AIDS, and in planning for Kenya and Uganda, will greatly enhance diagnostics in the hospital sector. Diagnosis is the cornerstone of good medicine and is critical for complex patients, such as those with AIDS and cancer. The potent combination of rapid diagnostic testing, training and capacity building of laboratory staff and radiographers, and medical training should make a massive difference to patient outcomes across the board in hospitalised patients.”

If you would like to know more about the 3rd UK East Africa Health Improvement and Investment Summit, please visit http://ukeastafricasummit.uukha.org/.

About GAFFI

GAFFI is a registered International Foundation based in Geneva and UK Charity and is focused on 4 major tasks related to serious fungal infections. These are:
• Universal access to diagnostics for serious fungal disease

• Universal access to antifungal agents www.gaffi.org/why/burden-of-disease-maps/
• Accurate data on the number and severity of fungal infections
• Health professional education related to better recognition and care for patients with serious fungal disease

GAFFI issued its 10 year Roadmap ’95-95 by 2025’ in 2015 calling on all governments and international health agencies to ensure 95% of the global population have access to fungal diagnostics and antifungal therapies by 2025: http://www.gaffi.org/roadmap/ GAFFI has enabled several antifungal drugs to be listed on the World Health Organisation’s Essential Medicine List, including those used for aspergillosis.

Luisa Morlano
The Goodwork Organisation Ltd
+442087471488
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