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Addressing the ocean of gaps in the treatment of tuberculosis in children and adolescents

Since 2014, MSF has implemented innovative strategies to address the needs of children and adolescents with DR-TB. The team achieved to start treating children and adolescents with new drugs, Bedaquiline (BDQ) and Delamanid (DLM). An analysis was conducted between September 2014–January 2020 by MSF team in Mumbai, India on 24 children and adolescents, with very complex drug resistant TB profiles. The results showed a 96-percent successful treatment outcome rate among this vulnerable group which was one of the largest cohorts of children and adolescents globally treated with new TB drugs BDQ and/or DLM, including half receiving BDQ and DLM concomitantly. To bear witness and give an account of what MSF field teams have witnessed while working with, studying, and advocating for innovative testing, diagnostics and treatment tools for children and adolescents, we’ll share an article, Family First: Sustainable Solutions for Children and Adolescents at Risk of Drug-Resistant TB and a photo story and testimonies focusing on Access to Drugs for paediatrics, addressing gaps, narrating MSF’s services, and appeal by patients and MSF call to action. In Mumbai, since January 2016 till mid-March 2021, our team has initiated 69 patients less than 18 years on treatment. And in the Khayeltisha and Eshowe projects as early as 2013 to mid-March almost 100 children and adolescents have received all-oral therapy with newer drugs.

MSBSTO13770

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