By Sallieu S. Kanu
Children enrolled in the drug-sensitive TB program jumped from 163 in 2020 to a whopping 384 in 2023 after introducing new diagnostic tools.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a silent killer especially for children, but a new report from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) shows that the tide may finally be turning. In the recently released “TACTiC: Test, Avoid, Cure TB in Children” report, MSF highlights the success of Sierra Leone’s implementation of WHO’s 2022 TB guidelines. And the results are nothing short of lifesaving.
Sierra Leone, a country ranked among the top 30 high TB burden nations, has aligned 88% of its national policies with WHO recommendations, thanks to a partnership between MSF, the Ministry of Health, and other key players. This collaboration, which began in 2019, focused on Bombali District, and the numbers tell a powerful story. The number of children enrolled in the drug-sensitive TB program jumped from 163 in 2020 to a whopping 384 in 2023 after introducing new diagnostic tools.
Previously, many children were misdiagnosed with pneumonia or other lung diseases, leading to unnecessary deaths. But with the use of WHO’s treatment decision algorithms, alongside innovative testing methods like stool and urine samples, healthcare workers are finally getting it right. “Many more children’s lives have been saved thanks to a timely diagnosis through this algorithm,” says Alimamy Sesay, a community health worker at Makeni Regional Hospital.
One mother, Fatmata Mansaray, shared her relief after her five-month-old son, who was initially misdiagnosed and is being treated for TB. “He stopped coughing after I started giving him the medicine, and he got better,” she says.
MSF and the Ministry of Health aren’t stopping there. In 2024, they launched preventive measures to protect high-risk groups, including children living with HIV and those in close contact with TB patients. While the project’s success in Bombali is undeniable, there are calls for nationwide implementation of the new guidelines.
According to Dr. Bukola Oluyide, MSF’s Medical Coordinator in Sierra Leone, the challenge now is to get these tools into every healthcare facility across the country. “The great results we have witnessed prove that these guidelines are effective,” she says, calling for international support to make sure no child is left behind.
The fight against TB in Sierra Leone is far from over, but with these new steps, there’s hope on the horizon for the country’s youngest and most vulnerable.