December 4, 2023
Read the PublicationCryptococcal meningitis (CM), an opportunistic infection caused by the Cryptococcus fungi, is the second leading cause of death among PLWHA accounting for 19% of all HIV-related deaths. Despite progress in biomedical interventions to better test, treat, and prevent cryptococcal meningitis (CM), mortality rates among remain high: estimated 3 out of 4 PLWHA with CM died in 2021. This trend will continue as long as CM is under-recognized, underdiagnosed, and under-treated. To improve CM outcomes, optimal interventions–as recommended by WHO–must be scaled-up. Here, policy can play a vital role. The HIV Policy Lab’s Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) Dashboard aims to track policy alignment between national guidelines and WHO recommendations on screening, diagnosing, treating, and preventing CM.