A CONCERNING 10% rise in childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases across Europe has been reported in the 2025 Tuberculosis Surveillance and Monitoring Report, highlighting ongoing transmission and the need for immediate public health intervention. The report, jointly published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, reveals that children under 15 now represent 4.3% of new and relapsed TB cases in the region, with similar rates observed in the EU/EEA.
The study collected data from national TB surveillance systems across the WHO European Region, which includes both EU and non-EU countries. Researchers analysed trends in TB notifications, treatment outcomes, and drug resistance patterns. The report also examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB diagnosis, care, and prevention efforts. Key metrics included case numbers, treatment success rates, and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), with a particular focus on paediatric cases.
Findings indicate that over 650 additional childhood TB cases were reported between 2022–2023, marking the third consecutive year of increases in the EU/EEA. Treatment success rates remain concerningly low, with only 67.9% of new and relapsed TB patients in the EU/EEA completing first-line therapy, compared to 77.2% in the broader WHO European Region. Worryingly, one in five children in the EU/EEA has no recorded treatment outcome, raising concerns about the emergence and spread of drug-resistant TB strains. MDR-TB treatment success rates remain critically low at 56.3% in the EU/EEA and 59.7% across the wider region, further complicating efforts to control the disease.
With only 5 years remaining to meet global TB elimination targets, experts stress the urgent need for enhanced TB prevention, faster diagnosis, and expanded access to fully oral treatment regimens. Without swift and coordinated action, the burden of TB—particularly in vulnerable paediatric populations—will continue to rise, jeopardising progress toward TB elimination in Europe.
Reference
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Childhood tuberculosis cases rise by 10%: a disturbing wake-up call for Europe. 2025. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/childhood-tuberculosis-cases-rise-10-disturbing-wake-call-europe. Last accessed: 24 March 2025.
