Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health threat, but for children, it presents a particularly great challenge. In 2022, an estimated 1.25 million children under 15 years contracted TB, with a staggering 51% remaining undiagnosed or outside national TB programs. This means hundreds of thousands of children silently battle this potentially life-threatening disease, often unable to access the care they desperately need. This disparity is even more pronounced for the youngest: 58% of children under five years with TB go undetected, compared to 30% of adults.
In 2024, to address this silent crisis, ITPC in collaboration with the Global Coalition of TB Advocates (GCTA) developed a global CLM for TB Paediatrics Framework using ITPC’s CLM model. The purpose of the framework was to assess the accessibility and quality of TB services as well as improving TB care and response for children and adolescents. The CLM framework was piloted across South Africa and India to gain the perspectives of affected communities – particularly caregivers and frontline health workers regarding the tool, and know if the information captured through the tool is adequate to measure the Pediatric TB response efforts. Findings highlighted that the CLM model can be adapted to various disease areas and high-burden contexts. The framework tool adequately captured the ground realities. The framework should be scaled up and used across different settings, provided there is adequate funding resources.