Increase in tuberculosis among children and young adolescents, European Union/European Economic Area, 2015 to 2023

Abstract

As tuberculosis (TB) in children is an indicator of ongoing transmission, we analysed surveillance data to understand the increase in notified TB cases among individuals aged < 15 years in the European Union/European Economic Area countries between 2015 and 2023. Several factors may have contributed to this increase, such as improved diagnosis and reporting, migration and the COVID-19 pandemic. The observed increasing trend, albeit low in absolute numbers, emphasises the importance of early case finding and timely prevention.