Universitas Indonesia (UI) inaugurated Prof. Dr. dr. Anna Rozaliyani, M.Biomed, Sp.P(K)., as a professor in the field of Mycosis, Faculty of Medicine (FK) at the IMERI Hall, FKUI, UI Salemba Campus, on Saturday, December 14. By delivering an inaugural speech titled “Penyakit Jamur Sebagai Ancaman Kesehatan Global Tersembunyi: Pentingnya Upaya Meningkatkan Kewaspadaan, Uji Diagnosis Cepat, dan Kolaborasi Multisektor di Indonesia” (Fungal Diseases as a Hidden Global Health Threat: The Importance of Efforts to Increase Awareness, Rapid Diagnostic Tests, and Multisector Collaboration in Indonesia), Prof. Anna is the 41st UI professor inaugurated in 2024.
She said that since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the pattern of disease spread throughout the world has changed, including fungal infections. Every year, more than one billion people are reported to suffer from fungal infections, with around 6.5 million of them being invasive fungal infections that cause around 2.5 million deaths. This death rate is as high as or even exceeds other serious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
Furthermore, Prof. Anna explained that fungi are microorganisms that can be found in various places, diseases caused by fungi are called mycosis, and the science that studies them is called mycology. Fungal infections are considered harmless, but invasive fungal infections have been shown to cause pain and death in patients with immune system disorders exogenously or endogenously.
“Of the approximately 3.8 million species of fungi worldwide, approximately 300 species can cause disease in humans. Infection can occur exogenously, which occurs with the entry of fungal elements from the external environment into the human body through contact, skin injury, or percutaneous. It can also occur endogenously, which comes from fungi that were originally in the natural body or resident microbiota, such as Candida albicans,” said Prof. Anna.
Invasive mycosis generally occurs in individuals with certain risk factors or who have underlying diseases that cause immune system disorders or body resistance. Prof. Anna emphasized that fungal diseases can be a global health threat with several driving factors, such as climate change, unhealthy human lifestyles, HIV infection of PLHIV/AIDS, and minimal reports of fungal species resistant to antifungal drugs
“There are challenges in early diagnosis of fungal diseases, namely symptoms that are not typical or resemble other diseases, limited availability of special fungal laboratories and trained medical personnel, a long period of time, and special expertise in diagnostic methods, such as fungal cultures,” said Prof. Anna. In addition, Indonesia’s warm and humid environmental conditions as a tropical country are very supportive of fungal growth.
Strategy to Overcome Fungal Diseases in Indonesia
To overcome these challenges, Prof. Anna said that a comprehensive strategy is needed. The development of fungal disease diagnosis must be developed with POCT (point-of-care testing), namely laboratory examinations carried out near the patient, outside the central laboratory. Developing diagnostic technologies, such as POCT, have changed clinical practice by providing tests that are fast, timely, easy to use, and can be carried out near the patient (bedside test).
Rapid and accurate diagnostic tests are also urgently needed to reduce the burden of fungal diseases worldwide. This rapid test must meet the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, namely affordable, sensitive, specific, easy to use, fast/robust, no equipment required, and applicable to end users (ASSURED). This criterion was expanded to REASSURED with the addition of real-time connectivity and ease of specimen collection. POCT enables rapid response to the treatment of progressive fungal diseases as well as for outbreak investigation and prevention.
“Multi-sector collaboration and comprehensive efforts are also key to successfully overcoming the challenges of fungal diseases. In addition, public awareness of the importance of maintaining personal and environmental health needs to be increased, including improving lifestyles through PHBS (clean and healthy living behavior). Thus, all parties can support efforts to handle fungal diseases in Indonesia,” said Prof. Anna.
She added that efforts to increase awareness of fungal diseases through socialization of the current situation, research results, and advocacy to the government and policy makers are also very important. The preparation of national guidelines or joint consensus regarding integrated diagnosis and treatment standards that are in accordance with local conditions is very necessary. In addition, the creation of (Pedoman Nasional Praktik Klinis, or PNPK (National Clinical Practice Guidelines) and Pedoman Praktik Klinis, or PPK (Clinical Practice Guidelines) in hospitals is an important benchmark for maintaining the quality of diagnosis and adequate treatment for fungal diseases.
Until now, Prof. Anna continues to play an active role in research publications. Some of the studies she has conducted are titled “Expert Panel Recommendations on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Candidiasis in Indonesia” (2024); “The Fungal and Bacterial Interface in the Respirator Mycobiome with a Focus on Aspergillus Spp” (2023); and “COVID-19 Mortality in Jakarta and the Involvement of the Weather” (2023).
Prof. Anna has completed all of her studies at FKUI, namely Medical Education Studies in 1997, Master of Biomedical Sciences Study Program in 2004, Pulmonology Specialist Study Program in 2008, and earned a Doctorate in Medical Science in 2015. Her career as a permanent lecturer at FKUI began in 1997, and currently, she also serves as Head of the Department of Parasitology FKUI and the Doctor in Charge of Patients (DPJP) at RS UI.
