Determining a population’s antifungal resistance will help the health authorities to improve syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) presented by patients.
Dr Gloria Sukali’s Master of Medical Science in Medicine contributed to this quest by characterising Candida isolates from South African pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by a yeast (a type of fungus) called Candida. Supervised by Professor Nathlee Abbai and Dr Nonkululeko Mabaso, Sukali’s study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Candida clinical isolates to amphotericin B – an antifungal medication used for serious fungal infections.
The findings revealed a high prevalence of Candida in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. It also found a high level of resistance to the antifungal amphotericin B. ‘In the local setting, resistance patterns to commonly used antifungals to treat Candida infections are not being monitored,’ said Sukali. ‘There is a need for antifungal resistance monitoring in order to reduce the risk of future persistent and untreatable infections,’ she advised.
Her study was a sub-study of a larger one that investigated susceptibility to the antifungal fluconazole. ‘In that study, we did observe resistance to fluconazole. In this study, we then decided to now look at another antifungal to see if we are seeing resistance to different classes of antifungals,’ she said.
‘I had to overcome many challenges to complete my studies so I feel extremely proud. Having been born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and raised in South Africa, I aim to contribute to the quest to improve access to healthcare across Africa, especially among women. I plan to use what I have learnt over the years as a researcher in the health sector to refine my techniques and contribute to research on diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that have a high prevalence on the continent.’
She described her study experience at UKZN as ‘amazing’ and thanked her supervisors for their support.
In her spare time, Sukali enjoys exploring new coffee shops and restaurants. ‘I am always keen to try new cuisines from different parts of the world.’
Words: Lunga Memela
