Child TB

Case study: Safounatou, Benin

Safounatou

COTONOU, BENIN

Safounatou was photographed while visiting the National TB Programme in Benin as part of The Union’s TITI study, an observational study on preventive therapy for children under five years of age who are in close contact with people with active TB. Children like Safounatou are particularly vulnerable to TB. However, strong evidence points to the effectiveness of TB prevention and treatment in children.

The TITI study took place in four countries in francophone Africa where staff visited the homes of every TB patient in their care to identify young children living in close proximity. Children identified then came to the NTP for initial screening, health checks and a TB skin test and, depending on the results, were placed on either TB treatment or preventive care.