One Health Approach to Addressing Fungal Infection Disparities

Notable disparities can be observed in the distribution of fungal infections across different geographical and climatic regions, comorbidities, socioeconomic classes, and occupations of the human host. Significant differences also exist in the availability, affordability, and accessibility of diagnostic services and therapeutic choices against serious fungal infections across the globe. With the growth of the menace of antimicrobial resistance and the increase in number of patients susceptible to life-threatening fungal infections, there is an urgent need among clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to understand these disparities and address them adequately.

Erstwhile known endemic fungal pathogens have recently been identified from newer geographical locations because of climate changes, human activities, and improved consciousness and diagnostics. Emerging fungal pathogens like the intercontinental spread of highly resistant Candida auris, resistance in Aspergillus and other hyaline molds due to overuse of newer antifungals in agriculture, COVID-associated mucormycosis, and natural disaster-associated invasive fungal infections have highlighted the importance of comprehensively addressing human fungal diseases from a One Health perspective.

This article aims to provide an understanding of the global multifactorial disparities in the distribution, diagnosis, and therapy of fungal infections and suggest different ways to address them through collaborative One Health approaches.