In China only 5–8,000 of an estimated 260,000 children with tuberculosis are registered and reported each year. Experts acknowledge that this huge disparity is due to a combination of under-diagnosis and under-reporting. This month a workshop sponsored by The Union and the China Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention (NCTB) launched a new campaign to serve these children.
The first-ever national child tuberculosis workshop took place in Beijing, China, on 12–13 August 2014 and was attended by national experts in child health and tuberculosis control. The agenda for the two-day workshop included a situational assessment, a review of current guidelines for child tuberculosis, and the development of goals and an action plan.
Prof Lin Yan, Senior Advisor of The Union in China; Dr Wang Lixia, Director of NCTB; and Fabio Scano, Team Leader of Disease Control, WHO China welcomed delegates at the opening session. This was followed by “state of the art” presentations with Prof Steve Graham of The Union providing a global child TB update and describing the management challenges, training needs and tools and research priorities for child TB. Dr Gunta Dravniece, Otsuka Public Health Manager, then gave an update on multidrug-resistant TB in children and a future plan of action. Finally, Chinese delegates described the current situation of child TB control policy, epidemiology and a planned child TB framework for China.
On the second day, the delegates worked together in groups, focusing on how to move forward by identifying priorities and gaps, areas for implementation and operational research in three key areas: epidemiology and management; recording and reporting; and prevention.
“We have a long way to go before every child with TB in China receives appropriate care”, said Prof Lin, “but with this workshop we have started the journey.”