Impact on paediatric tuberculosis diagnosis of implementing the new treatment decision algorithms in an MSF nutritional centre, Maiduguri, Nigeria

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESNigeria has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) of African countries and the sixth highest in world (WHO, 2022).In 2021, the WHO estimated that 467,000 new TB cases occurred leading to 125,000 deaths (WHO, 2022b).Key triggers of the TB burden in Nigeria include malnutrition, with an estimated 20% of TB cases attributable to malnutrition in 2019 (WHO, 2019) and HIV.In 2021, 6% of the TB cases notified were children younger than 15 years (30% of them aged 0-4 years and 70% 5-14 years) globally and 8% in Borno state (where MSF operates) (NTBLCP Nigeria, 2021).Objective: To show the impact on TB diagnosis of the new WHO treatment decision algorithms for pulmonary TB in children under 10 years in a context with food insecurity and acute malnutrition.