title: Adoption of revised dosage recommendations for childhood tuberculosis in countries with different childhood tuberculosis burdens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) published revised dosage recommendations for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in children. The aim of the survey was to assess whether countries adopt these new dosage recommendations, as well as to identify challenges in the management and treatment of childhood TB. In addition, countries were asked to provide 2010 surveillance data on childhood TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey questionnaire was developed and broadly disseminated to National Tuberculosis Programmes or people with close links to them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 34 countries that responded to the survey, the proportion of total national TB caseload reported in children in 2010 ranged from 0.67% to 23.6%. The data on new cases reported to this survey varied from data provided to the WHO global TB database. Most countries had childhood TB guidelines in place, and half had adopted the new dosage recommendations. Countries reported a number of challenges related to the implementation of the new recommendations and general management of childhood TB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the adoption of the new dosage recommendations, their implementation is complicated by the lack of appropriate fixed-dose combinations. In addition, accurate and consistent estimates of the global burden of childhood TB remained a major challenge. Technical assistance and support to countries is needed to improve childhood TB activities.
authors.affiliation: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Detjen
authors.affiliation: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macé
authors.affiliation: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France ; Centre for International Child Health, University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Stop TB Partnership, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzemska
keywords: anti-tuberculosis medicines; childhood TB; disease burden; guidelines