Successful 3rd Global Fungal Infection Forum (GFIF3) meeting on Essential diagnostics for Fungal Diseases and Advanced HIV infection

GAFFI recently organised the 3rd Global Fungal Infection Forum (GFIF3) meeting on Essential diagnostics for Fungal Diseases and Advanced HIV infection in Kampala (Uganda) in April 2018.
The aim of this meeting was to develop consensus on which fungal diagnostics should be listed by the WHO as essential. Indeed, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new initiave on Essential Diagnostics List, following the model of the Essential Medicines List, focussed on low and middle income countries. Among them, general tests such as fungal culture, blood culture or direct microscopy will be included. Cryptococcal antigen will also be included as one of 50 specific tests. The coming challenge will be to include other specific tests such as  Histoplasma antigen. ECMM supported the organization of the meeting and Jean-Pierre Gangneux (FECMM) was part of the expert panel on the topic of quality assurance systems for fungal diagnostics.