Advancing Fungal Pathogen Surveillance in African Informal Settlements: Integrating Community Engagement, Environmental Monitoring, and Predictive Modelling

Cleo Conacher of Stellenbosch University in South Africa will develop a surveillance and risk prediction system for the presence of Candida pathogens in river water sources used by informal settlements in South Africa. This system will account for climate change-influenced environmental factors that can affect the prevalence, distribution, and behavior of these fungal pathogens. They will survey community members for data on river water exposure. They will also design a sampling device to collect data on river water properties as well as microbiological samples for data on Candida pathogen prevalence and gene expression. They will combine this data to enhance an existing framework for microbial risk assessment and to develop an AI-based model that predicts fungal infection risk from environmental trends. They will communicate the risk estimates and overall conclusions to community members through meetings and a project website, with materials translated into relevant local languages.