Mycosis in the Philippines: Epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostics and interventions

Fungal infections affect more than a billion people globally. Around 1.5 million deaths are attributed to serious fungal infections, most of which could have been prevented with early recognition and treatment. As a low-middle income country located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has a tropical marine climate. The effects of climate change and natural disasters, increasing lifestyle risk factors, and the continued prevalence of infectious diseases have placed Filipinos in a vulnerable position. The combination of increasing health problems and the rising population of immunocompromised individuals led to a greater susceptibility to developing fungal infections. This chapter discusses the common fungal infections in the Philippines – aspergillosis, candidiasis, dermatophytes, Pneumocystis pneumonia, and Cryptococcus neoformans.