Paediatric TB in India: Notified Cases Up 38% Since 2020
Why in the news
Official notifications of TB among children climbed sharply over five years, drawing attention to hidden cases and diagnosis gaps.
Key facts
- Rise: 38% growth in notified child cases.
- Age definition: up to 14 years (WHO).
- Types: pulmonary TB (lungs) and extrapulmonary TB (other organs such as lymph nodes).
| Year | Notified paediatric TB cases |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 102,090 |
| 2024 | 141,182 |
Why cases are rising
- Malnutrition: weak immunity makes children more prone to infection.
- COVID-19 aftermath: wide steroid use may have reactivated latent TB.
- Drug resistance: more MDR-TB and XDR-TB seen in children, complicating care.
- Household spread: infection often comes from adult family members.
Reporting gap
- Estimates say children under 15 are 10-12% of the national burden (about 300,000-350,000 cases a year), while NTEP data shows only 5-7% of notified cases.
- Reasons: hard-to-collect sputum samples in young children and vague symptoms, especially in extrapulmonary TB, delaying diagnosis.
Government action
- The National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of TB in India promotes early diagnosis and prompt treatment in children.
- Aims: quality-assured drugs and regimens, plus stronger surveillance and diagnostics.
Way forward
- Better sputum collection methods and child-specific diagnostic tools.
- More nutritional support, especially in underserved areas.
- Special regimens for children with drug-resistant TB and wider access to second-line drugs.
Exam angle
- Programme: NTEP; plan: National Strategic Plan for TB elimination.
- Terms: MDR-TB, XDR-TB, extrapulmonary TB, latent TB.