Hand in Hand to End TB in Kids

By Chhay Sophal
Cambodia News
Phnom Penh (23 Sept 2018): The world health leaders, activists and people affected by TB have rushed out to New York to discuss next week a way to end tuberculosis in children.
The discussion starting next Monday at the first High Level Meeting on TB at the UN headquarters and a side event on the eve of the 73rd UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The first ever UN high level meeting on TB to be conducted in the UN headquarters on 23-27 September 2018 is aiming to urge the UN member states to show their political will and commitment in the fight to end TB by 2030.
At the meeting, leaders and people affected by TB will discuss the importance of targeted commitments for children and adolescents in the TB response as well as launch the 2018 Child and Adolescent TB Roadmap.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), almost 700 children die from tuberculosis (TB) everyday, 80% before reaching their 5th birthday, and over 250,000 children develop TB.
To stop TB in children, prevention is necessarily needed and WHO recommends that “Early diagnosis and successful treatment of an infectious adult patient is the best way to protect children from becoming infected with TB.”

A good TB control programme, which will ensure early diagnosis and treatment of adults with infectious form of TB is the best way to prevent TB in children; and BCG immunization of babies soon after birth up to 2 years of age will protect them mainly against the development of TB meningitis, it added.
According to UNGA Guide 2018, Multi-sectoral commitment and collaboration around the world are critical to ensure that existing child-specific TB interventions are universally available, and that research to optimize existing tools and develop new child-friendly tests, treatments, and other interventions is supported.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), UNICEF, WHO, Stop TB Partnership and their partners urge the world leaders, policy makers and policy decision makers to join them to show commitment to and accelerate action towards ending TB in children, adolescents and families.