By STANSLOUS NGOSA
TUBERCULOSIS (TB) in children and adolescents is a preventable and curable infectious disease that remains overlooked by the general public, public health authorities, health policy makers and TB control programmes globally and locally.
Childhood TB contributes significantly to the burden of disease and represents the failure to control transmission in the community.
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a slow growing bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) that commonly affects the lungs but can infect any organ in the human body.
The TB bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or laughs. TB is not spread through personal items, such as clothing, bedding, cups, eating utensils, a toilet, or other items that a person with TB has touched.
TB in children is often as result of being in contact with someone, usually an adult, who is infected with TB for prolonged periods of time. It may take, weeks, months or years for a child in contact with a TB patient to develop symptoms or active TB Disease.
The majority of children infected with M. tuberculosis never develop active TB disease and remain in the latent TB infection stage (without TB symptoms but are infected).
The risk of a child developing active TB disease is increased if they live with someone who has active TB disease, malnourished or have a weak immune system brought about by Diabetes Mellitus, HIV infection, or taking medicines that can weaken the immune system.
Young children less than five years old are more likely than older children to develop active TB and have the TB spread through their bloodstream to other organs such as the brain and cause complications, such as meningitis.
When TB affects the brain it has the potential to permanently impair the cognitive functions of the affected child. This is the more reason for prompt TB treatment in this age group.
TB in younger children may differ slightly compared to older children and adults in terms of symptoms, however the most common symptoms of active TB in younger children include fever, weight loss, poor growth, cough, reduced playfulness and sometimes night sweats.
Older children, adolescents and adults tend to have similar symptoms of cough, fever, weight loss and night sweats. Other symptoms and signs that can be observed include swollen lymph nodes/glands (some may begin to drain fluid through the skin), abdominal swelling and seizures.
TB in children and adolescents is curable and preventable with prompt treatment and implementation of prevention measures such as TB preventive therapy for latent TB infected Children.
In Zambia, according to The National TB and Leprosy Coordinator at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Lungu, it is estimated that about 6, 000 children have active TB annually, however less than 4, 000 children are diagnosed with TB and put on treatment each year.
This implies that over 2, 000 children go undiagnosed and continue to spread the disease, develop complications or die without access to treatment.
To avert this challenge, the Ministry of Health and its partners have dedicated the month of November 2021 as Childhood TB month to raise awareness among the Health Care Workers (HCWs) and general public on the importance of childhood TB as a disease of public health concern.
Dr Lungu, says the ministry believes It is time to prioritise childhood TB, advocate for addressing the challenges and grasp the opportunities in its prevention and control as a means of reducing the pool of TB infected children that constitutes a reservoir of infection for the future burden of TB.
Childhood TB will remain neglected without strong activism, hence the ministry advocates for childhood TB representing a broad spectrum of public health, research, donors and civil society, and equipped with the most robust, relevant and up-to-date epidemiological, clinical and basic science data, must act with a sense of urgency, outrage and hopefulness.
Lastly, parents and guardians with children with these symptoms, should promptly seek health care at the nearest facility for a possible TB screening.
If found with TB they should support the child complete the course of treatment. If question arise, parents and guardians are encouraged to seek clarifications from health personnel.
*The author is Head, Media Relations in the Ministry of Health.
