Results of the 2022 global WHO online survey on diagnostic capacities and treatment practices for implantation (‎deep)‎ mycoses

Overview

In June 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a framework for integrated control and management of skin-related neglected tropical diseases (“skin NTDs”) that describes how mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep (implantation) mycoses including sporotrichosis should be addressed and integrated in interventions against skin NTDs and in broader primary health care.

Between January and March 2022, WHO conducted a global online survey to collect information on the medicines used to treat subcutaneous or implantation mycoses worldwide. The survey was designed as part of a WHO collaborative project with the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to identify priority disease areas for pilot testing in CURE ID, a web-based application to help clinicians share their experiences in managing difficult-to-treat infectious diseases and thereby inform clinical research needs to support drug repurposing.

The 2022 global WHO online survey investigated the use, and value in the use, of the CURE ID platform to inform drug repurposing for implantation mycoses in their non-respondent forms. The outcome of the survey will help WHO to better understand 2 the epidemiological situation as well as current practice and limitations in the management of these diseases in different regions.

The survey investigated the type of diagnostic methods available in countries within different health care settings (tertiary, secondary, primary level) and the medicines used to treat implantation mycoses, to obtain a better understanding of the level of drug repurposing for treatment of these diseases. The survey also assessed (i) the availability and affordability of the medicines used to treat implantation (deep) mycoses, (ii) the use of non-pharmacological interventions, (iii) the presence of refractory cases and (iv) the rate of loss to follow up.