Preventing tuberculosis in children: A global health emergency

Paediatr Respir Rev. 2020 Nov:36:44-51. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2020.02.004. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Abstract

It is estimated that 20 million children are exposed to tuberculosis (TB) each year, making TB a global paediatric health emergency. TB preventative efforts have long been overlooked. With the view of achieving "TB elimination" in "our lifetime", this paper explores challenges and potential solutions in the TB prevention cascade, including identifying children who have been exposed to TB; detecting TB infection in these children; identifying those at highest risk of progressing to disease; implementing treatment of TB infection; and mobilizing multiple stakeholders support to successfully prevent TB.

Keywords: Elimination; Exposure; Infection; Prevention; Preventive; TB; Tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Communicable Disease Control
  • Contact Tracing*
  • Disease Eradication
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma Release Tests
  • Mass Screening*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Tuberculin Test
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis / prevention & control
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents