MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Diagnostic Capacity for Fungal Infections in Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana – An Onsite Baseline Audit of 9 Sites

Summary

Researchers audited nine hospital laboratories in Nigeria and Ghana to assess their ability to diagnose fungal infections. They found that most laboratories lack basic equipment like microscopes and trained staff for fungal testing. The study revealed critical gaps in infrastructure and resources needed to identify serious fungal diseases, highlighting the need for investment in laboratory capacity building in African healthcare systems.

Background

Over a billion people are estimated to have fungal infections globally, with 15-30% being serious infections. Resource-limited countries struggle with weak laboratory systems lacking adequate infrastructure and human resources for fungal disease diagnosis. Fungal diseases surveillance was initiated in Nigeria and Ghana in 2022 and 2024 respectively.

Objective

To assess diagnostic mycology capacity and available fungal diagnostic services in microbiology laboratories of eight tertiary hospitals in Nigeria and one in Ghana, providing a baseline for monitoring capacity building efforts.

Results

Less than half of audited laboratories had dedicated mycology benches (33.3%), appropriate workflow (11.1%), functional biosafety cabinets (22.2%), or standard operating procedures (11.1%). Only one laboratory (11.1%) had trained designated mycology personnel. All sites had laboratory registers but showed low fungal specimen volumes (0-208 samples annually). Eight of nine sites possessed Vitek-2 machines but only one had sustainable yeast card acquisition.

Conclusion

The audit revealed significant deficits in basic infrastructure, material resources, and dedicated human resources required for fungal disease diagnosis. While capacity building interventions are being implemented, advocacy to healthcare stakeholders is critical to sustain gains and strengthen laboratory systems for detecting serious fungal infections in resource-limited settings.
  • Published in:International Journal of Public Health,
  • Study Type:Audit Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39611082, DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1607731
Scroll to Top