Europe sees a 10% increase in tuberculosis cases of childhood, which says for action
Children under 15 years of age made 4.3% of all tuberculosis cases in the European Union, shown in a joint report by WHO and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
The World Health Organization said on Monday that tuberculosis (TB) infection among children in the European region increased by 10% in 2023, indicating the need for immediate public health measures to control the ongoing transmission and spread.
The WHO European region, including 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, reported more than 7,500 cases in children under 15 years of age in 2023, an increase of more than 650 cases compared to 2022.
“A worrying growth in children with TB serves as a reminder that progress against this prevention and cureable disease remains delicate,” Hans Henry Clus said, who is the regional director for Europe.
The WHO’s regional TB advisor, Escar Yedilbayev, the WHO, said in an interview that an increase in overall cases could indicate better diagnosis. However, this can result in the across the border-limit movement due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the most disease burden in the region in both countries.
Children under 15 years of age made 4.3% of all TB cases in the European Union, showing in a joint report by WHO and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
This reflects an increase in cases in this age group for the third consecutive year, which Yedilbayev said that there was a “worrying scenario”.
Who has earlier warned that there will be progress in controlling funding from global donors and controlling TB infections in medium -income countries. The agency said that these deductions could damage TB programs in non-European Union countries, leading to an increase in hard-to-treatment.
Yedilbayev said that many local, on-ground workforce have been hurt by funding cuts, and the supply of diagnostics and treatment remains at risk.
TB, out of the top 10 causes of death worldwide, is a potentially malignant bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and spreads through cough or sneezing.
