Diagnostics, Progress and What is needed.

We invite you to join us on 27 February to mark World Aspergillosis Day (WAD). 2020 will be the third WAD and will be marked at the Advances Against Aspergillosis and Mucormycosis conference (AAAM2020) to be held in Lugano, Switzerland 27–29 February 2020. AAAM2020 is the largest international conference on aspergillosis and has taken place every two years since 2004.

The target audiences reflect the wide need for increased awareness throughout the world. Advocacy group Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI; www.gaffi.org) give us a lot of information about fungal disease frequency, shortcomings in diagnosis and treatment throughout the world.

Clinicians generally need better awareness to be able to ‘think fungus’ when repeated attempts to treat infections fail. Serious fungal infections are underdiagnosed worldwide. The good news is that the new diagnostics are making substantial progress but, of course, much more is needed.

People with one of the multiple forms of aspergillosis need much better support and information, as aspergillosis is a rare infection that isolates people.

People who live with and care for people with aspergillosis often need to better understand what the patient is going through, and they themselves need understanding and support.

Last, but certainly not least, those who fund our health services need to be more aware and provide better diagnostics and treatments worldwide.