MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

China’s innovative national plan to combat fungal diseases and antifungal resistance

Summary

China has launched an ambitious national program to combat fungal diseases through a network of 868 hospitals across the country. Studies found that fungal infections are more common than previously thought, with concerning rates of drug resistance. The country is implementing surveillance systems, training healthcare workers, and carefully managing antifungal drug use to prevent further resistance development while improving patient outcomes.

Background

Fungal diseases affect over 6.5 million people worldwide and contribute to more than 2.5 million deaths annually, yet remain largely underrecognized globally. China has established comprehensive national frameworks including the Biosecurity Law and the second National Action Plan for Containing Antimicrobial Resistance to address fungal diseases and antifungal resistance challenges.

Objective

To describe China’s innovative national plan for combating fungal diseases and antifungal resistance through the China Fungal Disease Surveillance System (CFDSS) and related initiatives established to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of fungal infections.

Results

Investigations revealed that 97% of tertiary hospitals offer mycology services but only 41% have dedicated workspaces; 252,811 fungal strains were analyzed showing high prevalence of non-Candida albicans species (>66%) and fluconazole-resistant C. tropicalis (>41%). Active surveillance identified 1,355 fungemia cases with 16.1% 30-day mortality and Candida spp. as predominant pathogen (85.4%).

Conclusion

China is leading comprehensive efforts to address fungal diseases through surveillance systems, capacity enhancement programs, rational antifungal stewardship, and research initiatives. The country aims to share its policies and practices globally to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of fungal diseases.
  • Published in:Innovation (Camb),
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39872483, DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100741
Scroll to Top