Pediatric Tuberculosis: 153 Children Affected in the West Region of Cameroon

According to the coordinator of the West regional tuberculosis control group, 2944 cases of tuberculosis have been registered in the West region of Cameroon between 2019 and 2021. Among these 2944 victims, 153 cases are children aged between zero and fourteen years.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an ongoing (chronic) infection caused by bacteria. It usually infects the lungs and other organs of the body such as the kidneys, spine, or brain. Tuberculosis is most often spread through droplets breathed or coughed into the air. A child can be infected with the TB bacteria and not have active disease, that is a child has TB bacteria in their body, but does not have symptoms.

This happens when a child has been in contact with a person who has TB, but the child still has a negative TB skin or blood test, a normal chest X-ray, and no symptoms.

TB is caused by bacteria. It’s most often caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Many children infected with M. tuberculosis never develop active TB and remain in the latent TB stage.

TB bacteria are spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or laughs. A child usually does not become infected unless they have repeated contact with the bacteria. TB is not spread through personal items, such as clothing, bedding, cups, eating utensils, a toilet, or other items that a person with TB has touched.

This disease remains a real public health problem in Cameroon.  In the Western region, 153 cases have been diagnosed in children between the ages of zero and fourteen.  The managers of the 24 health districts of this region have developed avenues to be able to bring about and fight effectively against this disease.

The existence of pediatric tuberculosis, still unknown to a good portion of the Cameroonian population is real and affecting children aged between zero and fourteen who are in contact with sick parents.

The number of people who suffer from this disease in the western region is still very huge, according the coordinator for tuberculosis in this Region.  “Between 2019 till.the first half of 2021, we have detected 2944 cases in the West region.

2944 cases of tuberculosis which are confronted, and among the 2944 cases, 153 cases of tuberculosis in children and in 153 cases of tuberculosis in children, there is a 113 cases of tuberculosis in the districts where the technical partner, Elizabeth foundation was involved. That means that childhood tuberculosis is a real problem, » Dr. Christian MATIP lamented.

He revealed the statistics over the weekend, during a ceremony organized to remind the heads of health institutions and other focal points of the western region to revisit the path taken in the fight against the pandemic.

“It was a question of bringing them together for the data review. The partner is in a transitional phase and surely they can no longer be with us. But at the strategic level and at the central level, we will have to decide with them.  Let us act at the intermediary and operational level. So it is a question of privileging the good parties so that our children are exempted from the diseases. The detection of tuberculosis of the child is effective, but it is slow. We must solicit and motivate the care providers to be able to remain in front to fight against this disease,” the coordinator explained.

Raising public awareness of the consequences of this disease and drawing the public’s attention to the difference that exists between these diseases are the recommendations at the end of this exchange between health actors and partners.

In 2019, incidence of tuberculosis for Cameroon was 179 cases per 100,000 people. Incidence of tuberculosis of Cameroon fell gradually from 309 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to 179 cases per 100,000 people in 2019.

A total of 1.4 million people died from TB in 2019 (including 208 000 people with HIV). Worldwide, TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause from a single infectious agent (above HIV/AIDS).

In 2019 still, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with tuberculosis worldwide. 5.6 million men, 3.2 million women and 1.2 million children. TB is present in all countries and age groups. 1.2 million Children fell ill with TB globally the same year. Child and adolescent TB is often overlooked by health providers and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. But TB is curable and preventable.

Ingrid KENGNE