UCT centre set up to analyse fungal infections

This research and training centre gives us a foothold in Africa

THE world’s first international research centre for tackling fungal infections – which kill around 1.3 million people globally every year – has been opened at UCT.

The R10 million centre, set up by the University of Aberdeen in collaboration with UCT, is based at the Wolfson Pavilion, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine.

The majority of deaths occur in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Fungal infections contribute to between 600 000 to a million deaths – more than malaria but about the same as tuberculosis.

The AFGrica Unit will be headed by Professor Valerie Mizrahi, director of the institute.

Professor Mark Nicol, UCT’s division of medical microbiology in the Department of Pathology head and member of the institute, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to develop a centre of excellence for fungal infections on the African continent.

“We will have the opportunity to extend the pioneering clinical research on fungal infections taking place at UCT by collaborating with scientists studying the biology and immunology of fungal infections at the world-leading centre in Aberdeen.”

The new unit will give the AFGrica unit experts a centre of operations in Africa, where they can work in collaboration with UCT experts to establish research programmes that target priority areas in fungal diseases relevant to the continent.

UCT health sciences faculty Dean Professor Bongani Mayosi said: “The establishment of the AFGrica Unit in the institute will enhance the excellent clinical and basic research that is taking placed on cryptococcal meningitis and other fungal diseases in the faculty at UCT.

“This initiative will also contribute to the training of a new generation of African scientific leaders, who will produce high-quality research to combat the scourge of fungal infections in Africa.”

Aberdeen University’s Professor Gordon Brown, who led the setting up of the AFGrica Unit, said fungal infections are understudied and under-diagnosed compared to other infectious diseases, despite contributing to so many deaths every year.

“Fungal infections kill more people in Africa than anywhere else on the planet.

“The AFGrica Unit is a unique opportunity to address the urgent need to improve basic knowledge and clinical management of fungal infections in Africa.

“This research and training centre gives us a foothold in Africa and the opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues at UCT to create a truly unique facility that will advance research to combat fungal killers and, just as importantly, to train more African experts specialising in this area,” Brown said.

The university’s vice-chancellor Professor Sir Ian Diamond said: “The expertise of our world-leading Aberdeen Fungal Group is recognised across the globe and this important partnership, with the University of Cape Town, will put our experts on the front line in the fight against these infections that currently prove deadly to so many people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.”