Survey on Difficult to Treat Tinea: A Sub-Saharan Africa Snapshot

BACKGROUND: Tinea infections pose a significant therapeutic challenge in many African countries, exacerbated by limited diagnostic resources and increasing antifungal resistance. This survey aimed to evaluate treatment difficulties, laboratory access, and antifungal use patterns among healthcare providers across ten African countries. METHODS: A survey was performed during the Continuing Medical Education (CME) meeting at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC), Moshi, on 8th January 2025. The collected data included information on clinical response to antifungal treatment, access to laboratory diagnostics, antifungal agents used, and affected body sites. Descriptive analysis and cross-tabulations were performed to identify key trends. RESULTS: The response rate was 92.6%. Treatment difficulties were reported by 95.1% of respondents, more than half of those surveyed (54.3%) lacked access to laboratory services necessary for accurate diagnosis. Empirical use of multiple antifungal medications was common (77.2%), particularly in cases involving more than one body site (62%). CONCLUSION: This survey highlights critical gaps in the diagnosis and management of tinea infections across African countries, also this gap has been observed in the survey for lab access for dermatologists in Sub Saharan Africa.