Health experts have called for targeted interventions to address the intersecting epidemics of HIV and Tuberculosis in children.
The experts have expressed concern that despite remarkable progress made in reducing new HIV infections and improving access to treatment, thousands of children continue to grapple with the burden of the disease.
Of concern is that TB, often exacerbated by the presence of HIV, poses a formidable threat to children in the country.
"TB remains one of the leading causes of mortality among children and targeted interventions are needed to address the intersecting epidemics of HIV and TB and prevent needless suffering and loss of young lives," Caren Mburu said.
Mburu is a pediatrician and senior technical advisor for adolescent and pediatric services at Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF).
According to Mburu, the fight against TB and HIV among children in the country remains a critical challenge that demands unwavering attention and concerted action from all the relevant stakeholders.
She noted that there is need to work within communities so as to confront the root cause of the transmission.
"We should fight HIV and TB stigma and support our children and adolescents living with HIV in schools and in the community by holding their hands and ensuring they do not face stigma and prejudice and live to their fullest potential," Mburu said.
Data shows more than 67,000 children are currently living with HIV while approximately 4,500 new pediatric infections occurred in 2022.
Mburu has called on stakeholders to prioritise comprehensive strategies that encompass education, access to quality healthcare services and community engagement.
This, she said, can stem the tide of new infections and ensure early detection and treatment for those affected.
She said this should include expanding access to key interventions such as Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services, pediatric HIV testing and treatment and TB screening and prevention for vulnerable children.
"We must address the pervasive stigma and discrimination that continues to shroud HIV and TB, hindering efforts to reach those most in need."
Mburu noted that by fostering environment empathy, understanding and support, children and families affected by these diseases will be empowered to seek care and support they deserve without fear of judgment.
According to the National Coordinator of Stop TB Partnership Kenya Evelyne Kibuchi, 12 per cent of TB is in children below the age of 15 years.
She has raised concern that such children are likely to be in learning institutions, which means it is likely to impact on their access to education.
Being children, TB comes with challenges right from diagnosis to treatment, she said, noting that it is difficult to diagnose TB in children.
She has noted that diagnosis of the disease in children involves sputum from the child yet a young child cannot be instructed to cough to bring out the sputum.
"So the methods that are used to extract the sputum it is very uncomfortable to young children because it means inserting pipes that go through the mouth or the nose to the lungs to pull out that sputum," she said.
She further noted that the symptoms of TB in children are so much like other diseases such as fever, loss of weight and lack of appetite.
These can be mistaken to be symptoms of so many other diseases such as malaria hence is likely to lead to misdiagnosis which delays initiation of treatment.
Kenya has committed to ending HIV and AIDS as a public health threat, teenage pregnancies by 2030, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including sexual violence by 2026.
