Children under 15 years of age accounted for 4.31 TYP3T of new and relapsed TB cases in the WHO European Region (Europe and Central Asia) in 2023, an increase of 101 TYP3T from the previous year, a report released on March 24 warned.
More than 172,000 people with new or recurrent tuberculosis were identified in 2023, similar to 2022 levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report for Europe, which includes 53 countries, including several in Central Asia.
In the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) alone, nearly 37,000 people were diagnosed, 2,000 more than the previous year, according to the report, carried out with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Children under 15 years of age accounted for 4.31% of all tuberculosis cases in the EU/EEA. which represents an increase for the third consecutive year ", the health organizations said in a statement.
The report's findings show that the spread of tuberculosis is " still in progress " in the region, with health agencies noting that " Immediate public health measures are needed to control and reduce the growing burden of tuberculosis“.
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Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a challenge
“ Ending tuberculosis is not a dream. It's a choice. Unfortunately, the current burden of tuberculosis and the worrying increase in the number of children with tuberculosis remind us that progress against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile." said WHO regional director Hans Kluge in a statement.
Mr. Kluge added that " Even before recent cuts in international development aid, the world faced an $11 billion shortfall in the global fight against tuberculosis.". Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of the ECDC, stressed that "It is essential that Europe focuses again on prevention and on rapid and effective treatment“.
Health agencies also noted that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remained “ a major challenge " in the region. " With drug-resistant tuberculosis on the rise, the cost of inaction today will be paid by all of us tomorrow." said Ms. Rendi-Wagner.
WHO Europe and ECDC have stressed the need to intensify efforts to detect and treat tuberculosis. They emphasize the need to expand access to " shorter, all-oral treatment regimens, which have shown promise in improving outcomes for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis“.
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