Open AccessChildhood tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa: A call to action
Author(s) -
Eziyi Iche Kalu,
Chiedozie Kingsley Ojide,
Victor Nwadike,
Francis Chukwuma Korie,
Chikaodili Adaeze Ibeneme,
Godwin Chukwuebuka Okafor
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.208
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2222-1808
DOI - 10.1016/s2222-1808(15)60928-8
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculosis , disease , call to action , public health , environmental health , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , international action , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , family medicine , pathology , marketing , business , social science , sociology
Tuberculosis (TB) has remained a source of concern for the international community for\udseveral decades. Multi-drug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB have become\udimpending emergencies. All these TB control challenges are magnified by HIV/TB comorbidity. Although, there are recorded successes in the overall control of TB in adults, the\udlevel of success in children is uncertain. The high burden of TB in children is well recognised,\udbut it is not well quantified in many endemic areas due to problems with definitive diagnosis.\udChildhood TB deserves special attention, because from the perspective of public health, any\udpaediatric TB case is a sentinel event. It indicates recent infection from an adult who has the\udinfection, and who could infect an average of 15 others in a year. It also indicates a possible\udsevere disease and a possible future adult case. To the extent, childhood TB is prevalent, to\udthat extent has TB control failed in the community where the childhood case came from. The\udobjective of this review is to examine all aspects of childhood TB with a view to highlighting\udthe management challenges and making recommendations