Childhood TB desk guide now available

Desk guide for diagnosis and management of TB in children

Tuberculosis in children is an important problem that is beginning to receive welcome attention. To support efforts to improve the care of children with TB, The Union and partners from sub-Saharan Africa have produced Desk guide for diagnosis and management of TB in children, which is available at no charge on The Union website.

Until recently, the specific needs of children with TB were not included in national and international policy and guideline development. Effective implementation to address the wide policy-practice gap remains a major challenge. Training and training tools are required to facilitate improved management of child TB cases, increase screening of child contacts and provide a better understanding of the issues particular to children and the rationale behind the guidelines. Most children with TB or that are TB contacts will be managed in the community by health workers that are not paediatricians. The desk guide has been produced for distribution by national tuberculosis programmes. It is intended for health workers aimed at the district or more peripheral level of care, and anyone else interested ineffective care for children with tuberculosis.