According to the WHO, fungal diseases affect more than 300 million people each year, contributing to high mortality rates, long-term illness and significant economic losses. At the same time, resistance to antifungal medicines is increasing, partly due to widespread use across human health, agriculture and environmental applications.
Despite these risks, fungal diseases have largely been excluded from national health strategies, global disease burden assessments and broader antimicrobial resistance programmes.
The new blueprint is designed to address these gaps by providing practical guidance for strengthening national and regional responses. It builds on previous WHO work, including the fungal priority pathogens list and global action plans on antimicrobial resistance.
WHO officials say the framework offers a structured approach for countries to improve their readiness and capacity to manage fungal diseases. “The Blueprint gives countries a concrete path forward,” said Dr Jean Pierre Nyemazi, Acting Director of the Department of Antimicrobial Resistance.
The plan focuses on strengthening health systems, improving access to medicines and diagnostics, enhancing laboratory and surveillance capacity and addressing the broader social and environmental drivers of fungal disease.
It highlights the need for better awareness and training among healthcare workers, as well as stronger infection prevention and control measures. At the same time, it calls for increased investment in research, innovation and equitable access to antifungal treatments.
The blueprint also emphasises the importance of building resilient laboratory networks and improving data collection to better detect and respond to outbreaks.
Another key element is addressing risks linked to agriculture and environmental exposure through a “One Health” approach that recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.
WHO says the framework was developed through consultations with more than 150 experts from around the world and is intended to guide policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers and development partners.
Hatim Sati, who led the development of the blueprint, said the goal is to ensure fungal diseases receive greater attention within global health systems. “This Blueprint provides countries with a practical framework to strengthen their response,” he said.
The WHO is encouraging governments to prioritise fungal disease within health strategies and invest in coordinated responses, warning that without stronger action, antifungal resistance could become a major threat to global health and economic stability.
–WHO/ChannelAfrica–
