WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Geneva-based Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) to combat fungal disease in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

PAHO said the MoU will allow them to work together to improve the diagnosis and treatment of fungal diseases.

“The agreement, which formalises years of successful collaboration between the two agencies to improve patient health, focuses on cooperation to decrease the impact of fungal disease in the Americas by implementing public health interventions, surveillance, and research strategies targeted at the most important fungal pathogens,” PAHO said.

Under the agreement, PAHO and GAFFI will coordinate the participation of expert professionals and activities at the country and regional level; provide technical cooperation and expertise for the development of guidelines, and protocols related to detection, surveillance, laboratory testing, and clinical management, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) where appropriate; and contribute to research and evidence for the development of biobanks, digital databases, and genomic research.

PAHO said the MoU will also provide training and capacity building of human resources and that the two organisations plan to leverage experience from successful pilot clinical hubs established in Guatemala and Argentina by expanding these hubs across the continent.

“The burden of invasive fungal infections has increased in recent years due to the higher prevalence of immunocompromised patients,” PAHO said.

“Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly related to the Candida fungus, has also become a frequent cause of healthcare-associated infections, especially for adults and children in intensive care units.”

PAHO said the collaboration with GAFFI not only tackles the challenge of diagnosing and managing fungal infections and AMR but also “reinforces a key focus outlined in the WHO (World Health Organization) fungal pathogen priority list”.

GAFFI has been the leading not-for-profit global voice advocating to overcome life-altering fungal diseases since 2013 and PAHO said its mission is to enable health systems especially in middle- and low-middle-income countries to effectively diagnose and treat fungal disease.