A new World Health Organization (WHO) report has raised concerns over the increasing number of childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases in Europe. Highlighting the need for urgent public health measures.
The report, released on Monday, reveals that TB remains a persistent threat in the region, particularly among children under 15. According to the WHO’s European Region report, children under 15 accounted for 4.3% of new and relapsed TB cases in 2023.
This marks a 10% increase from the previous year, making it the third consecutive year of rising childhood TB cases in Europe and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
Overall, more than 172,000 people in the 53 countries covered by the WHO’s European region were diagnosed with new and relapsed TB cases.
While this number remains similar to 2022. The EU/EEA recorded nearly 37,000 TB cases, an increase of 2,000 compared to the previous year. Health agencies stress that immediate action is required to control the rising TB burden.
WHO Europe regional director Hans Kluge emphasized that despite TB being a preventable and curable disease, progress remains fragile.“Ending TB is not a dream. It’s a choice.
The rising number of children with TB serves as a reminder that we must act now,” Kluge stated.He also highlighted the financial strain in tackling the disease. Noting that even before recent cuts to international development aid, the world faced an $11 billion shortfall in global TB response funding.
The report also warns about multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), describing it as a significant challenge for the region. WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stressed that failing to address drug-resistant TB today will have costly consequences in the future.
To effectively combat TB, the agencies are calling for:
- Increased TB testing and early detection
- Access to shorter, fully oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB
- Expanded preventive treatment for those at risk.
WHO and ECDC officials have reiterated the need for stronger public health measures to reduce the TB burden in Europe. Scaling up treatment accessibility and early intervention efforts could significantly improve patient outcomes and help curb the spread of the disease.
With childhood TB cases on the rise for the third consecutive year, health organizations are urging governments and stakeholders to act now before the situation worsens.
