New findings from a recent study speak to the risks of tuberculosis (TB) in children living in areas where TB is widespread, such as parts of South Africa.

Children up to 10 years of age in these areas are at higher risk of TB infection and disease, according to research led by Boston University School of Public Health, the University of Sao Paulo and the University of Cape Town.

The study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, is the first to track TB infection rates from birth over more than a decade in high-burden communities.

Every year, about 1.2 million children worldwide suffer from TB and 2,00,000 die from it. Although the disease is preventable and treatable, it is still poorly studied, especially in real-world settings outside health care facilities.

The study looked at 1,137 pregnant women and their 1,143 children near Cape Town, testing the children for TB infection at 6 months, 12 months and annually or whenever they showed symptoms of a respiratory infection.

The findings showed a troubling pattern: By age 10, more than 10 percent of the children had developed TB disease. Children faced a 36 percent cumulative risk of TB infection by age 8.

Infection rates were highest in the first year of life and gradually decreased as children grew older. However, 1 in 10 children develop TB disease by age 10, indicating potential long-term health consequences, including weakened immunity.

Dr. Leonardo Martinez, co-senior author of the study, emphasized that TB in children is a serious health problem, affecting thousands of South African children more than their peers in countries like the United States.

Co-senior author Dr. Heather Zar said many TB cases in children were diagnosed when they developed pneumonia, suggesting that pneumonia cases in high TB-prevalence areas also be screened for TB. Should go.

The study highlights the importance of preventive TB treatment, yet most of the children in the study who were eligible for this treatment did not receive it.

Preventive care worked well for those children who received it, but many still do not have access to it and remain at risk.

The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to significantly reduce TB cases and deaths by 2030, making reduction in pediatric TB a global health priority. According to a recent WHO report, TB has become the world’s top infectious disease killer.

Dr. Martínez believes that tackling pediatric TB requires a comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders.