TB-Free Schools Initiative Propels Paediatric Tuberculosis Elimination Efforts

TB-Free Schools Initiative Propels Paediatric Tuberculosis Elimination Efforts

Johns Hopkins Leads Collaborative Effort to Combat Pediatric TB in India

New Delhi, April 6, 2024 – Johns Hopkins University, in collaboration with national and state-level partners, is leading a multi-stakeholder initiative to address paediatric TB among Indian children.

India represents approximately 31% of the global paediatric tuberculosis (TB) burden (India TB Report, 2022). Roughly 20% of Indian children harbour latent TB by age 18; yet fewer than 6% receive diagnosis and treatment (UNICEF, 2023). This Johns Hopkins-led effort confronts a pivotal challenge in paediatric TB care: the underreporting of cases, especially latent TB infections, which often go undetected often due to a lack of symptoms among other factors.

Building upon a joint study conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins University and Delek Hospital in Dharamsala, the TB-Free Schools Initiative is designed to focus on the detection, treatment, and prevention of TB among school children and their families. The project aims to mobilize stakeholders in providing TB screening, prevention, and treatment for schoolchildren and adolescents across India using high-speed testing facilities and child-friendly ultra-short course treatments.

The workshop featured a panel discussion on research and innovation in Pediatric TB, followed by sessions on clinical, programmatic, and technical aspects of the TB-Free Schools Initiative, with representatives from academia, industry, government, and the research community lending their perspectives. The aim of the workshop was to disseminate knowledge, exchange findings, and co-create an effective intervention. Participants included TB experts from Johns Hopkins University, AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Rajkot, Ashoka University, Delek Hospital, PATH, Qure.ai, Intelehealth, IPE Global, Khushi Baby among others.

Dr. Kunchok Dorjee, Principal Investigator of the TB-Free School Initiative and Assistant Professor of Medicine and International Health at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, emphasized the significance of schools in the fight against TB, sharing, “Our success in reducing TB infection rates among Tibetan schoolchildren by 87% shows enormous promise for preventing active TB disease at a larger scale.”

Speaking at the event, Anurag Agarwal, Dean, Department of Biosciences and Health Research, Ashoka University said, “Towards a vision of TB-Mukt Bharat, it is critical to reduce missed active cases and develop a coherent strategy for latent TB. The TB-Free Schools initiative, focusing on pediatric TB, has shown the transformative impact of appropriate implementation of existing tools, while also opening new research directions.”

As the discussion delved into the challenges of diagnosing pediatric TB, Dr. Shibu Vijayan, Medical Director, Global Health, Qure.ai said, “Pediatric TB diagnosis is challenging; however, in recent years, digital and AI tools, specifically X-ray reading AI, have emerged as key tools to enable faster decision-making and linkage to diagnostics or latent TB infection testing. Generating evidence of these new tools is of paramount importance for framing policies for scale-up.”

Drawing parallels with India’s past successes in combating infectious diseases, Dr. Bhavesh Modi, Head of the Department, Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Rajkot, appreciated the multi-stakeholder approach of the initiative, “Through collaborative efforts of academia, research, and practitioners, India can contribute to a TB-free world, just as we achieved success with the DOTS strategy and during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Reflecting on the workshop’s success, Dr. Amita Gupta, Chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of collaboration in the fight against paediatric TB. “Today’s event underscores the power of collaboration and collective action in the fight against paediatric TB. By harnessing the expertise and dedication of all stakeholders involved, we are one step closer to realizing our vision of a TB-free future for our children.”

About Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII) at Johns Hopkins University:
Gupta-Klinsky India Institute at Johns Hopkins University brings together the Johns Hopkins community – faculty, staff, students, and alumni – and a diverse range of Indian partners to improve society in India and beyond through research, education, policy, and practice. Our faculty and alumni comprise experts in medicine, public health, education, arts & humanities, business, economics, public policy, engineering, data science, and artificial intelligence. We work with India’s experts across government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to advance human knowledge and develop bold, world-changing ideas.
GKII website: https://indiainstitute.jhu.edu/
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For more information, please contact:
Ira Pundeer
Communications Consultant, GKII
Phone: +91 9711745718
Email: [email protected]