Abstract
The 2021 Global Tuberculosis (TB) report shows slow progress towards closing the pediatric TB detection gap and improving the TB preventive treatment (TPT) coverage among child and adolescent contacts. This review presents the current knowledge around contact case management (CCM) in low-resource settings, with a focus on child contacts, which represents a key priority population for CCM and TPT. Compelling evidence demonstrates that CCM interventions are a key gateway for both TB case finding and identification of those in need of TPT, and their yield and effectiveness should provide a strong rationale for prioritization by national TB programs. A growing body of evidence is now showing that innovative models of care focused on community-based and patient-centered approaches to household contact investigation can help narrow down the CCM implementation gaps that we are currently facing. The availability of shorter and child-friendly TPT regimens for child contacts provide an additional important opportunity to improve TPT acceptability and adherence. Prioritization of TB CCM implementation and adequate resource mobilization by ministries of health, donors and implementing agencies is needed to timely close the gap.
Highlights
In September 2018, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly called for a united and urgent global response to fight the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic
In June 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the Call to Action 2.0 that calls on government and stakeholders to accelerate the coverage of TB preventive treatment (TPT) for those in need and highlights the critical gap that we are currently facing in reaching the contacts [72]
The significant improvement achieved in recent years in the TPT coverage among people living with HIV (PLHIV) [1,20] clearly shows that commitment and prioritization of TB activities by bilateral donors, jointly with increased political will and engagement by national programs, can make rapid progress feasible
Summary
In September 2018, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly called for a united and urgent global response to fight the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. CCM is a key gateway for both active case-finding and TPT and plays a critical role in breaking the transmission cycle from the index patient to TB-exposed children and to the community. Both at the individual and population level, CCM would have an enormous advantage if it was routinely implemented for all TB index patients and their contacts
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
