Tuberculosis (TB) infections among children in the European region rose 10% in 2023, indicating ongoing transmission and the need for immediate public health measures to control the spread, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
WHO's European region, which comprises 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, reported more than 7,500 cases among children under 15 years of age in 2023, an increase of over 650 cases compared to 2022.
"The worrying rise in children with TB serves as a reminder that progress against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile," said Hans Henri Kluge, WHO's Regional Director for Europe.
Askar Yedilbayev, regional TB advisor for WHO's European region, said in an interview that a rise in overall cases might indicate improved diagnoses. However, it could also result from increased cross-border movement due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the two countries with the highest disease burden in the region.
Children under 15 years of age made up 4.3% of all TB cases in the European Union, a joint report by the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed.
This shows an increase in cases in this age group for the third consecutive year, which Yedilbayev said was a "worrisome scenario".
WHO has previously warned that funding cuts from global donors will undo progress in controlling TB infections across low- and middle-income countries. These cuts can hurt TB programs in non-EU countries, fuelling a rise of hard-to-treat strains, the agency said.
Several local, on-ground workforces have been hurt from the funding cuts, and the supply of diagnostics and treatments remains at risk, said Yedilbayev.
TB, among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and spreads through coughing or sneezing.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
12 Comments
Login to comment
Mr Kipling
In the UK cases of TB are almost entirely in the immigrant population from South East Asia and prison inmates.
falseflagsteve
Mr Kipling
Indeed and I expect that is also the case in mainland Europe, they aren’t keen on mentioning things like that in Europe are they.
Bret T
TB rate has been steadily rising in the US since 2020. Hmmm, open border started when...?
The US also has a measles outbreak that is likely the result of the influx of unvaccinated people that poured across the border for 4 years.
大窪Kahlua
More like the Anti-Vaxxers led by the Trump, RFK and their conservative minions. Anti-Vaxxers are leading the way to the erasure of decades of greatly reduced infection rates in the US.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Are you under the impression we don't have enough idiots in this country for an outbreak? The anti-vaxxers took off with the pandemic in 2020.
BarfoCrapa
Thought the vaccines were for viruses. Introducing spike proteins and all that. Here, we're talking about a bacterial infection. How do vaccines apply here?
大窪Kahlua
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis.
virusrex
In a very similar way, the "spike" is just the viral protein that is targeted for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but for other pathogens the target simply are other proteins. Bacteria have dozens and dozens of proteins in their membrane so vaccine research focus on identifying which of these proteins stimulate neutralizing activity.
BarfoCrapa
The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) seems promising. Have you taken it, I wonder; I mean, to avoid the TB and transmission? To: 大窪Kahlua and Virusex.
Jimizo
Always good to have a new contributor on these articles.
Do you have any medical expertise? Do you watch podcasts and follow a carnivore diet?
BarfoCrapa
No.
Jimizo
No to what?
No medical expertise? Okay.
Do you follow a keto diet? I was told by podcast watchers that it has multiple health benefits.