Global epidemiologic aspects of tuberculosis in children

• Tuberculosis in children reflects the extent to which national tuberculosis programs fail to curtail recent transmission • Annually an estimated 7.5 million children become newly infected with M. tuberculosis and 1 million develop tuberculosis • In untreated children the case fatality ratio was 22%, currently estimated to range from 2% in Europe and 34% in Africa • National tuberculosis programs need to strengthen surveillance that comprehensively includes children