WHO sounds the alarm: cases of childhood tuberculosis in Europe have increased by 10%
Kyiv • UNN
The increase in tuberculosis cases among children in Europe indicates the ongoing transmission of the disease in the region, WHO indicates.
Today, March 24, many countries around the world are holding various events to mark World Tuberculosis Day. The World Health Organization reports in its report that cases of childhood tuberculosis in the European region have increased by 10%, writes UNN.
Details
The report "Tuberculosis Epidemiological Surveillance and Monitoring in Europe 2025", published today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, shows that children under 15 years of age account for 4.3% of new and relapsed tuberculosis (TB) cases in the WHO European Region, which is an alarming 10% increase in TB cases in children in 2023 compared to the previous year
WHO points out that data on the increase in tuberculosis incidence among children indicate that tuberculosis transmission in the European region is still ongoing, and immediate public health measures are needed to control and reduce the growing burden of tuberculosis.
The data also highlight the increase in the disease among the younger population, as the total number of reported tuberculosis cases continues to increase, with more than 650 additional cases reported among children between 2022 and 2023.
Of greatest concern is the fact that it is unknown whether treatment has been completed for one in five children with tuberculosis in the EU. This uncertainty about treatment completion can lead to worsening health outcomes, such as the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and its further transmission, WHO said.
"Now is the time to act to end tuberculosis. With only five years to achieve our goals by 2030, it is crucial that Europe refocus on prevention and timely, effective treatment. With the increase in drug-resistant tuberculosis cases, we will all pay the price for inaction today," said ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.
WHO also notes that in 2023, the number of people diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis began to increase again after an unprecedented decline in 2020 caused by COVID-19-related disruptions.
"In the WHO European Region, which covers 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, more than 172,000 people with new and relapsed tuberculosis were registered in 2023, which corresponds to the level of 2022. Meanwhile, in the EU countries, almost 37,000 people were diagnosed, which is 35,000 more than in the previous year," the report adds.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge emphasizes that "ending tuberculosis is not a dream, it is a choice."
"Unfortunately, the current burden of tuberculosis and the alarming increase in the number of children with tuberculosis serve as a reminder that progress in combating this preventable and curable disease remains unsustainable," says Kluge.
He notes that even before the recent reduction in international development assistance, the world faced a shortfall of US$11 billion for the global fight against tuberculosis.
"This may affect vital tuberculosis control programs in the European region, especially in non-EU countries. This means that tuberculosis transmission may go unnoticed, further contributing to the spread of strains that are difficult to treat. But we cannot give up. We must continue to fight tuberculosis and seek new partners to join us. With new treatments, technological advances and innovations, we have the tools. We are changing tuberculosis treatment for the better - and I hope, forever," adds Kluge.
The report also highlights that in the European region, the treatment success rate among people with new and relapsed tuberculosis who started first-line treatment in 2022 was 75.5%. As in previous years, the treatment success rate in 2023 was lower in the countries of the European Economic Area than in the rest of the WHO European Region (67.9% vs. 77.2%, respectively).
"This indicates a significant gap between current treatment success rates and the global targets set by WHO, which call for achieving successful treatment outcomes in at least 90% of patients. Of concern is multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, which remains a serious problem in the WHO European Region, as treatment success rates for patients with multidrug resistance are significantly lower than expected. In 2023, the reported treatment success rate in the region, where traditional treatment methods using injectable drugs are often used, was only 59.7%, indicating ongoing difficulties in managing these complex cases," the report says.
WHO points out that these figures are of concern as they highlight the ongoing struggle to effectively treat resistant strains, likely due to issues such as adherence to treatment, delays in diagnosis and lack of access to appropriate therapy.
Despite improvements in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, the persistence of MDR-TB and other drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis highlights the urgent need for more effective treatment strategies and better patient management, such as new and shorter non-injectable treatment regimens that do not require injections.
