The President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) has highlighted the importance of addressing pediatric tuberculosis (TB) – for cure and prevention [1]. The announcements that IAP will train pediatricians on ‘TB control’ and the idea of creating ‘State and District level Task Forces for TB Control’, if implemented, will give IAP a new role in health management.

Our children deserve to live without the risk of inhaling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb), which of course is their fundamental human right. For that, we must transform India from a high prevalence to a low prevalence nation. The only way to achieve this goal is by effective TB control.

The term ‘control’ has specific meaning in epidemiology [2]. TB control has been defined as yearly 5 percent reduction of annual rate of MTb infection (ARTI) [2]. In 20 years, India can become a low prevalence nation, like Western countries [2]. This can be achieved only through community level action, particularly for socio-behavioral change, supported by intensive bio-medical interventions. Only the Government has reach and power to establish such modalities. We in healthcare profession cannot control TB through treating and curing individual children with TB, even if we reach 100% [2].

The Government has currently no policy to control TB [3]. IAP’s first task is to force our Government to accept TB control as national policy [1,3]. IAP has the opportunity and President has the vision, for such advocacy [1]. IAP ought to establish a National Task Force on TB Control to assist the Government to re-define the goal of the Revised National TB Control Programme from the current 50 percent mortality reduction to annual 5 percent reduction of ARTI [1-3].

The control of TB offers India a unique opportunity to construct a model of primary healthcare linked to public health [4]. TB control is not only a humanitarian service but also a developmental endeavor – India can become richer by annual saving of 23.7 billion US dollars if TB is controlled [3]. IAP can thus contribute to our country’s socio-economic development.

1. Kamath SS. Reach, treat and cure pediatric tuberculosis: Raising the voice for children. Indian Pediatr. 2015;52:283-4.

2. John TJ, John SM. Paradigm shift for tuberculosis control in high prevalence countries. Trop Med Int Health. 2009;14:1428-30.

3. John TJ. India needs a national policy to control tuber-culosis. Economic and Political Weekly. 2014;28:39-43.