Tuberculosis infections among children in the European Region increased by 10 percent in 2023, indicating continued transmission and the need for urgent public health measures to control the spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
WHO Europe, which comprises 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, reported more than 7,500 cases of tuberculosis among children under 15 years of age in 2023, an increase of more than 650 cases compared to 2022.
“The worrying increase in children with tuberculosis serves as a reminder that progress in the fight against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile,” said Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Askar Yedilbayev, regional advisor on tuberculosis for the WHO European Region, said in an interview that the increase in overall cases could indicate improvements in the diagnostic process. However, it could also be the result of increased cross-border movement due to the Russia-Ukraine war, two countries with the highest disease burden in the region.
Children under 15 accounted for 4.3% of all tuberculosis cases in the European Union, a joint report by the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed.
This marks the third consecutive year of increase in cases in this age group, a “worrying scenario” according to Yedilbayev.
The World Health Organization has previously warned that cuts in funding from global donors will reverse progress in controlling tuberculosis infections in low- and middle-income countries.
The cuts could hurt TB prevention programmes in non-EU countries, fuelling the rise of strains that are difficult to treat, the agency said.
Tuberculosis is among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. It is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and is spread by coughing or sneezing.
