Global health improvement targets announced on World Aspergillosis Day
Aspergillosis, lung and sinus disease caused by the fungus Aspergillus, affects around 15 million people and kills over 1 million each year.
Announced at the 8th biennial Advances against Aspergillosis international conference in Lisbon starting on February 1st 2018, are the 5 aspirational targets for aspergillosis to be achieved by 2030:
1.) Survival in invasive aspergillosis increased to 90% (up from under 50%)
2.) Plugging the major gaps in our understanding of the biological, immunological and genetic basis of aspergillosis
3.) Diagnostics (most countries, including all of Africa have no diagnostic capability at all)
• New widely available, standardized and clinically validated diagnostics techniques
• New simple screening tests developed