Abstract:
In a recently published article it was estimated that the
incidence of childhood tuberculosis (TB) in the Western Cape
was 407 new cases per 100 000 childhood population per
year.1 This incidence was approximately half that in the adult
population. Children younger than 13 years of age contributed
13.7% of the total TB burden.1 Further, 10% of the children with
TB had severe disease including miliary TB, TB meningitis
and spinal TB.
