WHO publishes fungal disease blueprint

The World Health Organization has published a new Blueprint for strengthening responses to fungal disease and antifungal resistance. This guidance aims to help countries improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of fungal diseases, which affect over 300 million people annually and are associated with high mortality. The Blueprint addresses critical gaps in national health plans and antimicrobial resistance strategies, building on the World Health Organization's Fungal Priority Pathogens List. It prioritizes interventions across four domains: public health and health systems, advancement of therapies and innovation, laboratory systems and surveillance, and social and environmental drivers. Jean-Pierre Nyemazi and Hatim Sati from the World Health Organization emphasized the importance of this initiative.