Incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis disease in children: systematic review and global estimates
This study by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) published in latest edition of the journal Lancet reveals that despite improved medication and government as well as aid agencies’ efforts, the number of children suffering from tuberculosis (TB) annually has doubled since 2011. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis threatens to reverse recent reductions in global tuberculosis incidence. Although children younger than 15 years constitute more than 25% of the worldwide population, the global incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis disease in children has never been quantified. The researchers aimed to estimate the regional and global annual incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children.