By Burnett Munthali
The National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme has reported a decline in the number of children being diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) in Malawi.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the programme, Dickens Chimatiro, shared the information in an interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station.
He revealed that the number of children receiving TB treatment in the country has dropped from 1,527 in 2019 to 1,244 currently.
Chimatiro attributed the decline not to a reduction in the disease burden, but rather to challenges in diagnosing TB among children.
He pointed out that a lack of diagnostic equipment and limited capacity among health workers to accurately identify TB in children are the main contributing factors to the reduced numbers.
These challenges have made it difficult for health professionals to detect and treat TB cases early, potentially putting more children at risk of undiagnosed infections.
In response to these difficulties, the National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme has introduced an innovative method to improve detection rates.
The programme is now using stool samples to diagnose TB in children, an intervention aimed at increasing the number of identified cases.
This approach is considered more child-friendly and feasible, especially in settings where more sophisticated diagnostic tools are not available.
The use of stool-based testing is expected to strengthen early detection efforts and ensure that children with TB receive timely and effective treatment.
Despite the decline in diagnosed cases, health authorities remain concerned that many infections may be going undetected.
They are urging for more investment in diagnostic infrastructure and training for frontline health workers to reverse the trend and improve child health outcomes.
