Global Burden & Mortality of  Fungal Infections

Fungal diseases pose a significant global health burden, with millions affected annually and substantial mortality rates. Invasive fungal infections, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems, are a major concern. The WHO and other organizations are working to raise awareness and improve diagnosis and treatment.

  According to a 2024 study, approximately 6.5 million invasive fungal infections occur annually, resulting in roughly 3.8 million deaths, of which 2.5 million are directly attributable to fungal disease.

  The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data for 2021 estimated ~5.62 million cases of pulmonary fungal infections, with around 45,500 deaths.

  Serious infections include:

·       ~2.11 million cases of invasive aspergillosis (≈1.8 million deaths)

·       ~1.56 million cases of invasive candidiasis (≈1 million deaths)

·       ~194,000 cryptococcal meningitis cases (≈147,000 deaths)

Category	Incidence	Deaths
Invasive fungal infections	~6.5 million/year	~3.8 million/year
Pulmonary fungal infections (2021)	~5.6 million/year	~45,500 deaths
Skin fungal diseases (2021)	~1.73 billion cases	Not fatal but high DALYs
C. auris (U.S. 2022)	2,377 cases	—
Mucormycosis (India 2021)	47,500+ cases	—
Fusarium meningitis 2023	9 cases	7 deaths