What are the signs and symptoms

Dr Pauline Howell, Deputy Director, CHRU, Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital: On International Children’s Day, we should remember that children have the right not only to survive but also to grow, develop, and access timely health care. TB still threatens all three.   

WHO estimates suggest that about 1.2 million children and young adolescents developed TB in 2024. Yet only 58% were diagnosed and treated. In children under 5, only half were diagnosed and treated. Children die disproportionately: children and young adolescents account for about 12% of the global TB burden, but 16% of TB deaths. Most child deaths occur in the youngest children. In South Africa, an estimated 23,000 children developed TB in 2023. We are still missing about 1 in 3 children with TB. 

These numbers matter. TB in children is preventable. TB in children is treatable. Yet it is still too often missed. Every child exposed to TB needs action: medicine to prevent TB, or treatment for TB disease. Every child with TB deserves a timely diagnosis, effective treatment and the chance to thrive. If we are serious about children’s health, we must prevent TB better, find it earlier and treat it well.

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