Health Tuberculosis treatment for children is lagging behind
Tuberculosis treatment in children is inadequate. Many countries are lagging behind in adapting their national tuberculosis policies to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to a report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
15.10.2024, 09:55
SDA
Of the 14 policy indicators examined in the report, only one country's policy is fully aligned with the WHO guidelines, MSF announced on Tuesday. In seven countries they are more than 80 percent aligned and in four countries less than 50 percent.
According to MSF, the biggest gaps were in the measures for diagnosing tuberculosis in children. Only five out of 14 countries have adapted their guidelines to initiate treatment in children when symptoms are strongly suggestive of tuberculosis, even if bacteriological tests are negative. Of these five countries, only four have the necessary resources to implement these guidelines effectively.
For example, child-friendly tuberculosis drugs are still not available in many countries due to bureaucratic obstacles and funding gaps, the report continued. Children are forced to swallow crushed medicines without the dosage being adjusted to their weight, putting them at great risk of side effects and treatment failure.
The WHO estimates that 1.25 million children and adolescents up to the age of 14 contract tuberculosis every year. Only half of these children are diagnosed and treated. The MSF report examined 14 countries in Africa and Asia. These included Afghanistan, India, Mozambique, Nigeria and the Philippines.
