Tuberculosis among children, adolescents and young adults in the Philippines: a surveillance report

Abstract

The Philippines, a country with a young population, is currently experiencing an intense and persistent tuberculosis epidemic. We analysed patient-based national surveillance data to investigate the epidemiology of reported tuberculosis among children (aged 0-9 years), adolescents (aged 10-19 years) and young adults (aged 20-24 years) to better understand the burden of disease and treatment outcomes in these age groups. Descriptive analyses were performed to assess age-related patterns in notifications and treatment outcomes. Data quality was assessed against international benchmarks at the national and regional levels. Overall, 27.3% of tuberculosis notifications for the Philippines in 2015 pertained to children, adolescents and young adults aged 0-24 years. Treatment outcomes were generally favourable, with 81% of patients being cured or completing treatment. The data quality assessment revealed substantial regional variation in some indicators and suggested potential underdetection of tuberculosis in children aged 0-4 years. Children, adolescents and young adults in the Philippines constitute a substantial proportion of patients in the national tuberculosis surveillance data set. Long-term progress against tuberculosis in the Philippines relies on improving the control of tuberculosis in these key age groups.