-- Under embargo until March 24th --
On #WorldTBDay, MSF urges governments and donors to put children at the heart of the global TB response. Sustained funding is needed to diagnose, treat, and prevent TB in children, who remain one of the most vulnerable groups. Children like Francisco, 10, who only received TB diagnosis after eight months of illness. No child should suffer or die from a disease that is preventable and curable, and that starts with a timely diagnosis. There is a proven way to increase the diagnosis of TB in children under 10 years of age: WHO algorithms. Based on recent MSF research, the use of the WHO algorithms can nearly double the number of children who can be diagnosed with TB and initiated on lifesaving treatment. Dr Moussa Mamane Oumarou Farouk, TB focal point for MSF in Niger highlighted: “Nearly half of the children under 5 with TB in the country have been diagnosed in the 5 districts where MSF supports the implementation of the algorithms, out of the 72 districts in the country.”